The Future Sustainability of EFA as a Global Regime of Educational Governance: Insights from regime theory

Drawing on regime theory from international relations and on evidence from a recent historical review of the relevant literature, the paper will critically examine the relevance of considering Education for All (EFA)... [ view full abstract ]

Drawing on regime theory from international relations and on evidence from a recent historical review of the relevant literature, the paper will critically examine the relevance of considering Education for All (EFA) understood as a regime of global governance i.e. as a set of horizontal and vertical arrangements between governmental and non-governmental institutions, norms and protocols that impact at a number of inter-related scales and levels on the governance of education. The paper commences by tracing the genealogy of EFA from the mid 1980s. It will be argued that regime theory offers new ways of understanding historical tensions related to the leadership, management and purpose of EFA; its historic Northern-led nature which has contributed to a lack of Southern ownership and fostered dependency; the emergence of new donors including the BRICS and private foundations; differences in scope and purpose with other education regimes including the education MDGs. It will also be suggested that regime theory offers new ways of understanding the relationship between EFA and global regimes governing other areas of social welfare, the economy including trade and industry and the environment. Using examples of countries that have ‘successfully’ globalised, it will be suggested that paying greater attention to how EFA articulates at the level of governance with other global regimes provides an important basis for ensuring the longer-term sustainability of EFA as a global regime of governance.