The International Economy and National Education Reform: a comparison of education reforms in the United States and Great Britain

Abstract The new international economy is affecting more than business. It is also reshaping education in many industrialised nations. The need for a more highly educated work force is stimulating policy‐makers to expand access to schooling and enhance its quality. Specific educational reforms enacted by a nation depend upon conditions such as historical developments, existing institutional arrangement, and current economic balances. However, despite continuing differences among the world's schooling systems, the emerging global economy virtually demands that nations now address similar educational issues. The result is an increasing international convergence of national education policies. This essay describes the emerging international economy, explores the educational challenges it poses, categorises policy alternatives available to decision‐makers, and illustrates these global conditions with a comparison of recent education reforms in the United States and the United Kingdom.