Powerful knowledge? Challenging neoliberal trends in FE policy and practice

Much has been written about the “neoliberalization” of Further Education in response to announcements such as the development of technical “T-level” qualifications for FE. and “skills boot camps” with a £1.6 bn funding package for 2021-2025.

Recent research by Zahid Naz suggests that these trends are deepening, as a preoccupation with economic rationality impacts on education’s social value. A focus on educational practices per se is downplayed, critics argue, as the quest for compliance with commodified, marketized forms of training implies behaviouristic, repetitive approaches. Attention is also distracted from the complex socio-economic environments in which FE colleges, by definition, operate.