Educational policies of privatization in Spain and their impact on equity

Abstract

The objective of this research is the analysis and evolution of educational privatization policies in Spain and their impact on equity. To do this, we will analyze the privatization processes and their consequences in Spain, where there are high percentages of private education; and especially Andalusia whose privatization is intensifying recently. For this reason, it will be the focus of the investigation. The methodology is built from two phases that come together: a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of legal and political documents on the privatization of education, for which we analyze the legislation and reports from government and social agencies of the educational administrations and unions. As well as an intrinsic Case Study on the application of privatization in Andalusia, which delves into different contexts -political, administrative and educational. The main results of this research lead us to consider that privatization policies produce high inequality, caused by the choice of center and the expansion of zoning, which fragment the educational systems and concentrate students with economic and academic difficulties. Educational policies favor the growth of private education because the current educational legislation does not protect the public school and the Autonomous Communities evade compliance with the laws, with sentences that prohibit the elimination of school places from concerted centers, while they can be eliminated from the public school. Privatization in Spain is a privatization by design promoted by public authorities through the adoption and implementation of explicit policies in favor of the private sector.