Privatization can be understood as the transfer of public, state, or community resources or entities, or their formal control, into private hands. In education, the term is used, sometimes accusingly, to describe policies and reforms that move authority away from the state or from quasi-public entities closely associated with established public education institutions, such as teachers unions or professional organizations. This entry provides an overview of common conceptions and uses of privatization, examining the political forces and motivations advancing and opposing the idea broadly in education. Variations of the concept in education are discussed along with the significance of the concept in the thinking and policy making around education. The concluding discussion considers alternative ways of understanding the issue.

Privatization can take many forms and may ...