Policy as Slogan: Re-Imagining the ‘Battle Cry’ for Entrepreneurship

Abstract

This persuasive paper discusses the integration of the Alberta Education slogan, “Engaged thinkers and Ethical citizens with an Entrepreneurial spirit” from a lens of critical analysis. Through a governmental structure of managed participation, the educational slogan reflects an intrusion of neo-liberal economic values onto the public education arena that serves to undermine education’s democratic nature. The final section of the paper suggests that educators could take a personal interest in the implementation of the slogan by defining the spirit of their students to ensure that more than economic values valued in educational settings. This paper should be interesting to policy-makers, academics, and school leaders involved in school and curriculum reform.

Keywords

• entrepreneurial spirit
• inspiring education
• policy as slogan
• curriculum
• alberta
• managed participation