Globalization, Privatization and the Role of the State in Education Through Representative Terms of Government in Argentina

Abstract

We study the role of the State in education through the most significantgovernment periods in Argentina in the last 50 years. We use a socioculturalapproach, contemplating the historical development of educational policiesin the country, exploring conceptual frameworks applicable in the investigationof the State, privatization and decentralization in education. We analyzehow certain models of government establish the cultural reproduction ofinequality in education, contextualizing the role of the State as a possiblepromoter of hegemonic educational projects of hybrid models of globalization.We discuss the multifaceted role of the State in education and society,as well as in the educational institutions themselves and their actors, consideringeducation as a fundamental right, which must be guaranteed by theState. Through the analysis of political, economic and social contexts weexpose negative impacts on education during the exercise of neoliberalpractices, which resort to privatization and state decentralization. In contrast,the use of socio-educational policies has contributed greatly to the improvementof the country’s public education system. The results of this case studyare then presented as a general notion regarding the global issue of inequalityin education, in order to help rethink the future of education.