The Education Policies of the Populist Radical Right: A comparative analysis of 13 Western European parties

Abstract

This study aims to provide knowledge on the PRRPs’ positions on education, thereby filling a gap in the research literature on PRRPs and a gap existing in the literature on education policy. The study asks two research questions: First, what positions do populist radical right parties hold regarding education policies, and to what extent do these positions reflect the core ideology of the parties? Second, how important are education policies for these parties, and to what extent does the importance vary between mainstream and non-mainstreamed parties? The thesis adopts a comparative case study approach and compares 13 PRRPs from Western Europe. The cases are investigated through a theoretical framework that draws on the literature on education policy and the PRRPs’ ideology. The study finds that the PRRPs are mainly concerned with the content of education and show a strong interest in influencing the values and the ideas of the education systems. The parties are concerned with some socioeconomic aspects of education but seem to be less interested in the governing of the sector. The thesis argues that the parties’ positions on education policies largely reflect their core ideology. The findings indicate that education policies, particularly when related to the content of education, are more important for these parties than previously assumed. One implication of the results is that the educational policies of PRRPs challenge the liberal education systems in contemporary Western Europe.