The eclipse of liberal education in the twenty-first century?

This paper argues that some of the important trends identified in this special issue of Educational Review are contributing to the rapid eclipse of 'liberal education', as that term was understood in the mid-twentieth century. The paper discusses the way that utilitarian and marketplace 'common sense' is distorting the functions and values of education. Then it discusses the threat to human diversity that the ideology of unrestrained capitalism poses, as it works its way into the practices and policies of education in developed and developing countries. Key areas of intrusion here are the new mass-testing regimes being forced Onto educational systems without seriously consulting the interests of the people affected; and the enforced privatisation of education. Finally, the paper sketches critical language awareness and critical literacy, offering these as one way of holding education back from a total descent into marketplace utilitarianism.