Public Education, a Public Good: Report on Privatization of K-12 Education in Canada

Education privatization has grown in tandem with the spread of neo-liberal ideology around the globe. While the privatization of education is not a new phenomenon, what has changed over the past few decades is the sheer scope, scale and penetration of privatization in the education sector. The Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) believes strongly that public education must remain independent of privatization because it undermines educational equity and quality, and it erodes the principles of education as a basic human right and a public good. This report is based on the responses the CTF received to these questions from the majority of its Member organizations. It also incorporates input from small group discussions at the CTF Annual General Meeting as well as relevant material on privatization obtained through a scan of CTF Member organization (and other teacher organization) websites. [Translation by Marie-Hélène Larrue and Marie-Caroline Uhel.]