[PEN-L:11699] Re: WTO meetings

[Bill Rosenberg <w.rosenberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A discussion paper on the effect of such agreements on tertiary
education (focusing on New Zealand) is available at

http://www.aus.ac.nz/papers/brpaper.htm

Bill Rosenberg

> Date:          Sat, 25 Sep 1999 15:03:26 -0500
> From:          phillp2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject:       [PEN-L:11690] WTO meetings
> To:            pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Reply-to:      pen-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Priority:      normal

> In parallel with the recent thread on the IMF, WB and other
> international agenies advancing US imperialism, the following
> appeared in the Can Assn of Univ Teachers Newspaper, "The
> Bulletin" in the latest edition.
>
> New Trade Rules Target Education
>
> CAUT Bulletin,
> September 1999
>
> Education unions and associations are warning that new rules being
> considered by the World Trade Organization will lead to the further
> subordination of post -secondary education to the dictates of
> private corporations.
>  Critics are pointing to a document prepared by the WTO in the run-
> up to next year's millennium round of negotiations which identifies
> post- secondary education as a potentially lucrative new market
> ripe for exploitation.
>  Citing with praise the growth of branch campuses, "virtual edu
> cation" and the international marketing of curricula and academic
> programs, the WTO paper notes that trade in post-secondary
> education services has exploded in recent years. In 1996 alone, US
> exports of higher education services reached $7 billion, making it
> the country's fifth largest service sector export.
>  Nevertheless, the WTO argues that the continued growth of this
> market is being hampered by a number of so-called barriers to trade
> in the sector. Private companies seeking to establish a commercial
> presence abroad may be restricted by limitations in many countries
> on the operation of private universities and colleges. Where
> private institutions are permitted, the WTO maintains they may
> still face other barriers. In some nations, students enrolled in
> private universities and colleges may not qualify for financial
> assistance or even, according to the WTO, subsidized bus passes.
>  The paper asserts that these regulations not only constitute re
> strictive trade practices, but also prevent "innovation" within
> uni versities and colleges. The WTO praises a number of nations for
> moving toward "greater market responsiveness" and "corporatization"
> of public universities which "increase competition and encourage
> investor and corporate participation in the education sector."
>  "There is a lot of pressure mounting to open up post-secondary
> education in Canada and other countries to increased privatization
> and commercialization," said CAUT executive director Jim Turk. "That
> clashes head-on with those of us committed to quality
> publicly-funded education."
>  Education International, representing 294 educational unions  and
> associations worldwide, is also expressing concern about the WTO
> initiative."Given the existence of huge disparities between
> countries, is the idea of placing national education systems in a
> competitive situation not tantamount to selling out the education
> system in the weakest countries to a handful bf large transnational
> corporations?" El asked in response to the WTO discussion paper.
>  El notes that the import of higher education services by South-East
>
> Asia gives some idea of the harmful consequences which trade
> liberalization will have: "increased dependence on foreign
> educational resources, acculturation caused by the use of a foreign
> language for teaching, a tendency to the standardization of
> education, and a curtailment of sovereignty."
>  WTO members, including Canada, are to meet in Seattle in
> November.
>
>
>