Teachers College Press International Aid to Education: Power Dynamics in an Era of Partnership (International Perspectives on Educational Reform Series)

Partnerships are now pervasive in global education and development, but are they creating equitable, cooperative, and positive relationships? Through case studies of prominent multistakeholder partnerships—including the Education Cannot Wait Fund and Global Partnership for Education—as well as a comprehensive analysis of the global education network, this book exposes clear power imbalances that persist in the international aid environment. The author reveals how actors and organizations from high-income countries continue to wield disproportionate influence, while the private sector holds a growing degree of authority in public policy circles. In light of such evidence, this book questions if partnerships truly ameliorate power asymmetries, or if they instead reproduce the precise inequities they are meant to eliminate. Book Features: Provides in-depth case studies of two of the most prominent multistakeholder education organizations, including key informant interviews that provide insider perspectives and critiques. Applies innovative methodologies to understand power and influence, including a network analysis of hundreds of organizations engaged in the global education sector. Tackles pressing and evolving themes, such as increased private sector engagement and power asymmetries in international development.