Maintaining independence in the face of increasing accountability : the historical and international perspective

The word ‘accountability’ has become not only a buzz word in political speak but also it is being used as a justification for increased government and consumer surveillance in the discourse of ‘choice’ and ‘competition’. While the public neo-liberal discourse has the surface appearance of independence and autonomy, underneath this façade is the notion of federal control. This paper has two major themes. The first theme traces the historical application of accountability in relation to international western education systems and the second theme looks at the consequences when flawed interpretations of accountability are used to attain political outcomes. This increasing surveillance and political manipulation has consequences for schools, teachers, students and the community.