Om skolvalsfrågans rättvisedimensioner: En pedagogisk-filosofisk analys

On the Justice Dimensions of School Choice : An Educational-Philosophical Analysis

This thesis explores how philosophical perspectives of justice can facilitate a critical discussion and a deepened understanding of the school choice issue and how it can be related to fundamental pedagogical ends of education, such as developing children´s autonomy and educating them to become democratic citizens. The methodological approach is based on John Dewey’s view of pragmatism, which argues for an experimental process of inquiry incorporating reflection on alternative lines of action. According to this approach, analyses of Swedish school choice policy are conducted based on three philosophical perspectives of justice: John Rawls’ justice as fairness, Nancy Fraser’s understanding of justice as three-dimensional and participative, and Amartya Sen’s capability approach. These perspectives clarify the relationship and meaning of three value premises that are prominent in the concept of school choice and foundational to liberal democratic societies: individual freedom, pluralism, and equality. Thus, the explorative approach highlights three answers to how the issue of school choice might be viewed from the perspective of justice. These answers are integrated into three criteria that serve as a pragmatistbased understanding of educational matters of justice, suggesting 1) that people should be viewed as active, social, and capable of intelligent change—individual and social—through reflective action; 2) that people should be given equal rights and opportunities to participate in and access influence over how they lead their lives; and 3) that societal organization (as well as the education system) should promote both people’s individual and common potential to act, which presupposes the striving toward full, free communication within and between social groups. Although the analyses of current Swedish school choice policy reveal increased criticism toward the contemporary system of school choice, the expressed policy strategies for dealing with injustice mainly aim to adjust the terms of choice within the realm of a market-based education, not critically examine the market structure, itself. The thesis argues for a renewed conversation about school choice, mirroring the pragmatic approach to inquiry while targeting the inherent democratic, communicative potential of schooling.