Marginalisation in education systems: The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the failure discourse around the Italian education system

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.27.4317

Keywords:

Globalization, Privatization, Marginalisation, PISA, Italy

Abstract

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD) created the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) as a political actor in global education through a logic of governance by numbers (Grek, 2009). This article discusses how PISA has became a major showcase for the OECD as an assessment tool par excellence while also producing marginalisation discourses. By approaching neoliberal globalisation and its aim at restoring the transnational capitalist class’ power over the “dangerous” classes (Harvey, 2005; Holman, 2006; Van Apeldoorn, 2001; Van der Pijl, 2010), this article analyses how school privatisation has grown in the Italian system over the last few years in the face of the PISA discourse (Bertozzi & Graziano, 2004). Building on document research and reports by Italian teachers, it traces how PISA’s pressure over the Italian school system has produced a twofold marginalizing effect. The first effect is the periodical disclosure of PISA rankings to distinguish successful from failed education systems. In fact, recent PISA results have placed the Italian system as a failed, technologically retarded system compared to those of high-performance countries. The second effect is the burst of neoliberal feelings among teachers, who report both stigma and guilt.

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Author Biographies

Rogério Gonçalves de Freitas, Federal University of Pará

PhD in Sociology at the Università di Napoli Federico II. Rogério Gonçalves de Freitas is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal University of Pará - UFPA. His research focuses on evaluation, PISA, internationalisation of higher education and physical education.

Vera Lucia Jacob Chaves, Federal University of Pará

PhD in Education - Knowledge and Social Inclusion at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Vera Lúcia Jacob Chaves is a Full Professor at the Federal University of Pará – Faculty of Education and Graduate Program Coordinator. Her research focuses on higher education, educational policy, higher education policy, teaching work and financing of higher education. 

Hajime Takeuchi Nozaki, Universidade Federal Fluminense - UFF

PhD in Education at Fluminense Federal University. Hajime Takeuchi Nozaki is an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora – Faculty of Education. His research focuses on work and physical education, human formation and Marxism.

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Published

2019-10-14

How to Cite

de Freitas, R. G., Chaves, V. L. J., & Nozaki, H. T. (2019). Marginalisation in education systems: The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the failure discourse around the Italian education system. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27, 127. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.27.4317

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Section

Globalization, Privatization, Marginalization