Plain-language explanation.
Globalisation has transformed education systems worldwide. International tests like PISA let countries compare their school performance and drive reform. The "knowledge economy" argument says education is an economic investment in a country's competitiveness. Critics argue that global education reform agendas impose Western models and reduce education to economic preparation.
Core concepts and standard treatment.
Education and globalisation intersect through: international student mobility (5.6 million students studying abroad), transnational higher education (branch campuses, online delivery), global curriculum convergence (maths curricula, scientific literacy, competency frameworks), and international assessments (PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS enabling cross-national benchmarking and policy borrowing). The knowledge economy thesis (Drucker, OECD) positions education as human capital investment for economic competitiveness — driving skills-focused curriculum reform.
Deeper theory, debates and edge cases.
Global education reform movement (GERM: Pasi Sahlberg) — standardised curriculum and assessment, test-based accountability, school choice, and privatisation — has spread across diverse education systems through OECD policy influence, bilateral aid conditions, and international league table competition. PISA effects: countries with low PISA rankings often undergo substantial education reform driven by political concern about international position — Finland's high rankings have prompted "Finland-isation" in policy borrowing, often without transferring the social and institutional conditions enabling Finnish success.
How it is applied in practice.
Political economy of global education: multilateral organisations (World Bank, OECD, UNESCO) promote different education models reflecting different theoretical commitments and political interests. EdTech multinationals (Google for Education, Microsoft, Pearson) are globalising particular technology platforms and assessment tools, with implications for data sovereignty, curriculum influence, and pedagogical homogenisation. Decolonising global education: postcolonial education theory (Tikly) critiques development aid models that impose Western education norms on African, Asian, and Pacific education systems, arguing for locally grounded education reform that centres indigenous knowledge and addresses postcolonial inequalities.