On the Market : Neoliberalism and New Managerialism in Irish Education

This article begins with a brief outline of the ways in which global capitalism exercises increasing control over educational policy globally. It explains how neo-liberal policies manifest themselves as new forms of ‘governance’, instituting perfomativity as a core value underpinning management governing teaching and learning. The paper then gives an overview of how neo-liberal policies took control in Ireland and discusses some of the cultural factors that allowed them to become embedded in public policy and education. Finally, it discusses the implications of neo-liberal policies for education and the challenges that these pose for trade unions.