All European states are influenced by transnational agencies like the OECD and the European Commission, transnational networks, alliances and global digital enterprises like Microsoft, to transfer and implement different versions of neoliberal recommendations and scripts in relation to market solutions and privatizing incentives (Ball & Junemann, 2012, do Amaral, Christie, 2019). At the same time, European education systems and societies are also striving to cope with new challenges in migration, health, demography, climate, environment, and welfare.  These political shocks due to the neo-liberal globalization and increasing social inequalities undermine education as a common, comprehensive and emancipating project while nationalist discourses are emerging against Europe (Blossing et al).  

These changing concepts and practices impact also on welfare regimes and their links with education in implementing student at-risk programs, promoting equity-based and social inclusion programs, involving private stakeholders so sustain evidence-based and what works interventions (Krejsler & Moos, 2021).  These new policies challenge the state, its long-standing social redistribution and institutions while strengthening marketplace, business and privatization-thinking in policy reforms as well as new actors: social entrepreneurship, foundations, Think Tanks, charity business, venture capitalism (Verger & all. 2016, Krejsler & Moos, 2023 Forthcoming).   

The pressure and inspiration from neoliberal and conservative thinkers, policy makers, and experts change the role of national/local authorities, public schools as New Public Management, accountability, and school choice mechanisms are implemented (Gunter, 2017). The encounter of marketplace logics, post-bureaucratic regulations and digital technologies promotes a new professionalism around discourses and practices that changes the relationship of professions with the State, as well daily practices and discourses in European schools (Normand & oth, 2018, Verger, Skedsmo, 2021). How do they deal at national or local levels to maintain a sense of social justice? Is it possible to maintain social cohesion and shared understandings of common goods in education? Does this hybridization between the State and the Market contributes to reduce the social inequality gap? What is changing in the relationship between Education and the Welfare in Europe? What are the consequences for teachers and school leaders?  

References 

do Amaral, P., & Christie. (2019). Researching the global education industry. Springer International Publishing. 

Ball, S. J., & Junemann, C. (2012). Networks, new governance and education. Policy Press. 

Blossing, U., Imsen, G., & Moos, L. (2014). Nordic schools in a time of change. In The Nordic Education Model (pp. 1-14). Springer, Dordrecht. 

(Blossing, Imsen, & Moos, 2014)Gunter, H. M., & Mills, C. (2017). Consultants and consultancy: The case of education. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. 

Krejsler, J. B., & Moos, L. (2021). What Works in Nordic School Policies? Springer International Publishing. 

Krejsler, J. B., & Moos, L. (2023 Forthcoming). School policy Reform in Europe. Cham: Springer.  

Moos, L., & Krejsler, J. B. (2021). Nordic school policy approaches to evidence, social technologies and transnational collaboration. In What Works in Nordic School Policies? (pp. 3-26). Springer, Cham. 

Normand, R., Liu, M., Carvalho, L. M., Oliveira, D. A., & LeVasseur, L. (Eds.). (2018). Education policies and the restructuring of the educational profession: Global and comparative perspectives. Springer. 

Normand, R., Moos, L., Liu, M., & Tulowitzki, P. (2021). An international comparison of cultural and social foundations of educational leadership. In The Cultural and Social Foundations of Educational Leadership (pp. 3-21). Springer, Cham. 

Verger, A., & Skedsmo, G. (2021). Enacting accountabilities in education: exploring new policy contexts and theoretical elaborations. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 33(3), 391-401. 

See above.