ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that a neoliberal policy for education gains legitimacy from and in turn reinforces aspects of human capital theory, through its construction of education not as a public and social service, nor as a universal human right, but as a private, good to be acquired by individuals for their personal social and economic benefit. The chapter argues that advocacy for increased public expenditures on education often cites economic returns, which risks supporting the neoliberal logic and policy that we seek to replace. Instead, it calls for critical educators and activists to emphasize and build support for alternative primary purposes of mass education that more firmly support high-quality, public, universal systems with the potential to contribute to wider anti-systemic movements.
