The Effects of Globalisation on UK Education Essay

The Effects of Globalisation on UK Education - Essay Example The force in the market demands higher education, which can churn knowledge workers who possess both technical and managerial skills. The UK government has responded to these global needs by changing its higher education system. The paper will address school standardisation, early year education and care, and overseas student education in British Universities. School Standardisation Globalisation in the context of education standardisation would refer to changes developed in the education system in response to demand of human resource. Knowledge steers every sector of economy at national and global scale. This attribute dictate the response that the UK government towards realigning its education policies. Policy makers in education sector have identified the need to adapt to global changes. Foskett, Nick and Maringe (2010: 54) argue that globalisation defines the rationale for changing the structures of education system with a view of meeting the needs of national economy. The economic success of a country depends on higher value added production mechanism, which embraces the use of technology and continual innovation. Since information is the central factor that contributes to knowledge flow, UK universities have embarked on innovative education integration with an aim of responding to the global needs. The UK government has argued that its global competence de pend on unlocked potential of its citizens (Pratt-Adams, et.al. 2010:78). The argument suggests that viability of an individual in the job market would thus depend on higher education level. The reward to an individual would derive from his job or her job would depend on level of education. This factor is in line with market principle, which argues that prosperity of a labourer would depend on the ability to market his skills. Critics have observed that globalisation influence education by forcing societies to evolve and change as a part of their development agenda, emphasising on insertion of neo liberal principles observed in the market with an aim of raising standards (Pratt-Adams, et.al. 2010:78). This influence has led to reformation of public education system with a view of creating different types of schools that would generate skills that would lead to attainment of global competitiveness. Some critics have described global economisation of education as process that fails to account for local and cultural discourses (Barton & Armstrong, 2008:127). For instance, the government of Wales have pointed out the need to create more vocational skilled labor. However, education critics have pointed that standardisation of education, testing, uniformity of curriculum, and ranking waters the value of education (Pratt-Adams, et.al. 2010:78). However, it is important to note that the role of education is to prepare workforce for the labour market. Critics of education believe that different people possess different abilities, which means that the system of standardisation must address these special needs (Great Britain Parliament. 2009:129). Curriculum adaption to global changes Education system that seeks to respond to the global goals has to change its curriculum in accordance with the global framework. The challenge in curriculum construction is balancing between the national needs and the global needs (Frau-Meigs and Torrent, 2009:129). These two factors have