Philippine E-Journals

Neoliberal Restructuring of Education in the Philippines: Dependency, Labor, Privatization, Critical Pedagogy, and the K to 12 System

David Michael M. San Juan

 

Abstract:

Theory and critical discourses on neoliberalism as tools of analysis The neoliberal onslaught on the peripheries shows no sign of abating even as neoliberalism’s tenets—privatization, deregulation, corporatization, exploitation, austerity, destruction of labor power, developed countries’ dominance, developing countries’ dependence—are increasingly becoming unpopular or at least exposed as bankrupt by their clear failure to resolve the 2008 crisis. In the Philippines, the K to 12 scheme represents a clear neoliberal restructuring of the education system attuned to the core countries’ attempt to manage the crisis. Using Dependency, this research is aimed at mapping the contours of this restructuring through contextualizing its link to dependency, privatization, contractualization, technicalization of education, and other aspects of the neoliberal agenda. Furthermore, the current study will shed light on how K to 12 complements the Philippines’ 30-year old Labor Export Policy.