ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the historical development of a global political economy of education by considering the origins and development of market forces in education as it is seen through different perspectives. Through the nineteenth century the global development of education generally followed the model in England which saw an increasing role for the state and state funding in education, although some countries such as Prussia had a system of free education funded by state which began in the seventeenth century. The conceptual base begins by looking at the classical approaches to political economy from the eighteenth century as it related to education as outlined by classical liberals such as Adam Smith where education was a commodity to be purchased. The concept of political economy stems from the recognition in eighteenth century Europe that the distribution of wealth required explanation. During the mid-nineteenth century further challenges were being made to the classical political economy's individualistic approach to social justice.
