AP/GEOG 4700 3.00

The Critical Geographies of Education

The Critical Geographies of Education (CGE) explores the complex interactions between education, space, and civil society. In an ideal democratic society, publicly funded schools serve many purposes. Aside from its educational mandate, schools are places for neighborhood integration, social capital formation and the fostering of civil society. During the past few decades, publicly funded schools have faced innumerable challenges ranging from the neoliberalization of education reform, socio-demographic changes and increasing fiscal restraints. As consequence of these significant changes, disparities have evolved at various scales creating new spaces of displacement yet also providing the forum for alternate political subjectivities. Amid a global COVID-19 pandemic, these disparities have become disproportionately evident in the landscapes of education. Topics in this course will include: defining Critical Geographies of Education; Education as a Global Common Good; Neoliberalization of education reform; Planning and ‘governance’ of community schools; Equity Policy in Ontario and Decolonizing Paths; Refugee children, forced migration and education; Spaces of ‘difference’: mobility, identity and citizenship in schools; Surveillance, regulation and accountability practices; Protest and activism in schools. We will also conduct a workshop related to the Literacy Campaign in Cuba; and devote a class to a forum discussion on Critical Thought and Educational Spaces. These critical examples will help us further reflect on the theories and concepts discussed during the lectures and imagine possibilities for change. We will have the opportunity to engage with guest speakers.