Education under Right-Wing Governments, Autocracies and Populists
In their article ‘Far-right parties and the politics of education in Europe’ (2024), Giudici and her colleagues argue that ‘far-right parties in Eastern and Western Europe frame education primarily as a means of disseminating (conservative and nativist) culture and values, rather than as a means of redistributing opportunities [as traditional contenders for government have done so far].’ (Addition by N. Cohen, DBS).
What does this mean for education and research in the respective countries? What concrete plans do right-wing and authoritarian parties and governments have for the field of education in their countries? How will education, and with it democracy, change if they implement these plans?
In view of the increasing right-wing conservative, authoritarian and populist tendencies in many countries around the world, it is important to think about this and inform ourselves.
Education Worldwide has compiled academic and non-academic texts and articles that provide a picture of the influence that right-wing and authoritarian governments and parties could have, or in some cases already have, on education.
Research literature
freely accessible research literature
Far-right parties and the politics of education in Europe (2024)
Anja Giudici, Oliver Gruber, Philipp Schnell & Anna Pultar
In: Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 33(1), 1–14._far-right actors and education: the global circulation of their ideas, agendas, and policies (2024)
With examples from Turkey, Germany, Austria, Brazil, and Argentina.
In: on_education, Journal for Research and Debate no. 20_october 2024Education, Indoctrination, and Mass Mobilization in Autocracies (2024)
Prince Selorm Tetteh & Amanda B. Edgell
University of Gothenburg, Varieties of Democracy Institute: Working Paper No. 151.Neo-fascist trends in education: neo-liberal hybridisation and a new authoritarian order (2024)
E.-J. Díez-Gutiérrez, M.-R. Jarquín-Ramírez & E. Palomo-Cermeño
With examples from Argentina, the USA, and Spain
In: Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 22(2).We don’t need no education? Education policies of Western European populist radical right parties (2023)
A. E. Berg, J. Jungblut & A. R. Jupskås
In: West European Politics, 46(7), 1312–1342.Europe’s far-right educational projects and their vision for the international order (2021)
Dorit Geva & Felipe G Santos
In: International Affairs, Volume 97, Issue 5, September 2021, Pages 1395–1414.Introduction to special issue: education and populisms (2021)
M. Nestore & S. Robertson
In: Globalisation, Societies and Education, 20(2), 81–85.
only partially freely accessible research literature
Special Issue: Education and Populism (2022)
Guest Editors: Matias Nestore & Susan Robertson
In: Globalisation, Societies and Education, 20(2).Special Section: Right-wing populism and education: interrogating politics, policy and pedagogic resistance (2021)
Editors: Saba Hussain & Reva Yunus
In: British Educational Research Journal: Volume 47, Issue 2.Populist Radical Right and Public Education, The (2024)
Eszeter Neumann
Only the abstract is freely accessible
Reference work entry, First Online: 30 November 2024
In: Chennattuserry, J.C., Deshpande, M., Hong, P. (eds) Encyclopedia of New Populism and Responses in the 21st Century. Springer, Singapore.
Blog and press articles, interviews, statements & more
Antiintellektualismus als Waffe von Populisten (2025) [Audio]
"Anti-intellectualism as a weapon of populists" [courtesy translation]
Torben Lütjen talking to Jörg Biesler (only in German)
Deutschlandfunk (DLF), 25. Januar 2025Defending academic freedom: Higher education unions mobilise against escalating attacks (Feb. 2025)
Article on the website of Education International (EI), a global union federation (GUF) of teachers' trade unions.Defending democracy against right-wing populism and extremism in education (2024)
Resolution from the 10th Education International (EI) World Congress published 2 August 2024
Education International (EI), a global union federation (GUF) of teachers' trade unions.Populism is forcing HE to confront its limited reach (Dec. 2024)
Graeme Atherton in University World News, 06 December 2024International Far Right Creating Its Own Higher Education Institutions (Oct. 2024)
With examples from Spain, Poland, the USA, France, Hungary, Belgium, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine.
Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE)What Europe’s far-right surge means for universities (June 2024)
Vassiliki Papatsiba in University World News, 28 June 2024University World News articles for the keywords „autocracy“, „far-right“ & „populism“
Populist radical-right parties are developing distinct education policies (Nov. 2024)
Oliver Gruber & Philipp Schnell
In: The Loop, Blog by European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), November 19, 2024, No.92 in a Loop thread on the Future of PopulismWhy the Populist Right Hates Universities (Aug. 2023)
With examples from the USA and Hungary.
Michael Ignatieff
The Atlantic 06.08.2023Europe and the Academy of the Judeo-Christian West. The policies urgently needed to fight the far-right (2019)
Paul Sweeney
In: Progressive Economy @ TASC (Forum), 10.05.2019. TASC ("Think-tank for Action on Social Change") is a think-tank based in Dublin, Ireland.The European far right has its eye on education (2019)
Andrea Mammone & Anja Giudici
In: Aljazeera Opinion, 29.03.2019
Literature about selected countries
Australia
Online educational populism and New Right 2.0 in Australia and England (2021)
Steven Watson & Naomi Barnes
In: Globalisation, Societies and Education, 20(2), 208–220
Austria
Sticking to the core or going beyond? The Austrian freedom party’s educational approach in a longitudinal perspective (2023)
Oliver Gruber & Philipp Schnell
In: Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 33(1): 28–44.
Brazil
To Freire or not to Freire: Educational freedom and the populist right-wing ‘Escola sem Partido’ movement in Brazil (2021)
Jorge Knijnik
In: BERJ British Educational Research Journal of BERA Volume 47, Issue 2, April 2021: 355-371.
Special Section: Right‐wing populism and education: Interrogating politics, policy and pedagogic resistance
France
The politics of higher education: the European Higher Education Area through the eyes of its stakeholders in France and Italy (2023)
Iryna Kushnir & Nuve Yazgan
In: Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10, 774 (2023)What is the story behind the growing network of French far right-funded schools and universities? (Oct. 2024)
Estelle Nilsson-Julien
EuroNews 18.10.2024Macron’s plan to move right: School uniforms, national service and more babies (Jan. 2024)
Victor Goury-Laffont
Politico 17.01.2024France’s far-right finishing school (2018)
Maïa de La Baume
Politico 14.09.2018Marine Le Pen: no free education for children of 'illegal immigrants' (2016)
Agence France-Presse in Paris
The Guardian 08.12.2016
Hungary
Teachers, parents and students fight together for the public education of Hungary (2023)
Köszeghy Ferenc
Progressive International (international political organisation) 19.01.2023Education for a Christian nation: Religion and nationalism in the Hungarian education policy discourse (2022/2023)
Eszter Neumann
In: European Educational Research Journal, 22(5), 646-665.Education Protests in Hungary Rock the Orbán Government (2022)
David Baer
The Bulwark 01.11.2022Orban extends dominance through Hungarian university reform (2021)
Anita Komuves & Marton Dunai
Reuters 21.04.2021Hungary’s assault on education is a blow to the EU (2020)
Hope Reese
Coda 12.06.2020
Israel
Avi Maoz: How a far-right politician could transform Israeli education (2023)
Jessica Buxbaum
The New Arab 03.01.2023Far-right coalition in Israel sparks furor over education and values (2022)
Neri Zilber
The Christian Monitor 21.12.2022Alarmed education officials warn ministry will be ‘dismantled’ under new government (2022)
Times of Israel Staff
The Times of Israel 06.12.2022Nationalist-Religious Ideology and Civic Education: The Israeli Case (2021)
Riki Tesler
In: International Relations and Diplomacy, Vol. 9, No. 02: 51-68.Legitimising populist education in Israel: The role of religion (2020/2021)
Roi Silberberg & Ayman Agbaria
In: BERJ British Educational Research Journal of BERA Volume 47, Issue 2, April 2021: 316-331.
Special Section: Right‐wing populism and education: Interrogating politics, policy and pedagogic resistance
Italy
Steve Bannon’s man in Italy wins fight over right-wing ‘gladiator school’
Politico 07 March 2024The politics of higher education: the European Higher Education Area through the eyes of its stakeholders in France and Italy (2023)
Iryna Kushnir & Nuve Yazgan
In: Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10, 774 (2023)
Netherlands
New Dutch right-wing coalition to cut research, innovation, and environmental protections (2024)
Martin Enserink
In: Journal Science 24.05.2024 (American Association for the Advancement of Science, AAAS)Dutch Populist Party Seeks Reports of ‘Left Indoctrination’ on Campuses (2024)
John Morgan
Times Higher Education 04.04.2019Populist policies threaten Dutch universities’ unique appeal (2024)
Stefan Kuhlmann & Barend van der Meulen
Inside Higher Ed 07.03.2024The Potential Influence of a Right-Wing Government on Education in the Netherlands (ca. 2023)
Asiia Kilmukhametova
Broken Chalk (NGO)The Dutch 2021 elections: education as the new divide? (2021)
André Krouwel
The Progressive Post (Magazine of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, FEPS Europe) 23.03.2021
UK (United Kingdom / England)
Online educational populism and New Right 2.0 in Australia and England (2021)
Steven Watson & Naomi Barnes
In: Globalisation, Societies and Education, 20(2), 208–220Logics, rhetoric and ‘the blob’: Populist logic in the Conservative reforms to English schooling (2021)
James Craske
In: BERJ British Educational Research Journal of BERA Volume 47, Issue 2, April 2021: 279-298.
Special Section: Right‐wing populism and education: Interrogating politics, policy and pedagogic resistanceNew Right 2.0: Teacher populism on social media in England (2021)
Steven Watson
In: BERJ British Educational Research Journal of BERA Volume 47, Issue 2, April 2021: 299-315.
Special Section: Right‐wing populism and education: Interrogating politics, policy and pedagogic resistance
USA (United States)
The Far-Right Attack on Education: How Curriculum and Classroom Censorship Stifles Educators, Harms Students, and Threatens Our Democracy (Report, 2025)
American Oversight, 13 February 2025United States: Education unions denounce Trump's attacks on students, teachers, schools, academic freedom, civil rights, public education, democracy, and even school lunches for vulnerable children (Feb. 2025)
Education International, updated 14 February 2025The Right-Wing Education Paradox: How Dismantling the Education Department Energizes Trump’s Base at Their Own Expense (Sept 2024)
Lukas Royba
Columbia Political Review, Columbia UniversitySteve Bannon’s man in Italy wins fight over right-wing ‘gladiator school’
Politico 07 March 2024Right-Wing Attacks on Education and Student Expression (Sept. 2023)
American Oversight, updated 29 September 2023
News about Education under Right-Wing Governments, Autocracies and Populists
Our week for "Citizenship and Democracy - let's do it together"
Further relevant dossiers on democracy education worldwide
News worldwide
- Exiled Scholars and New Organizational Strategies in Academic Humanitarianism in Europe in the Aftermath of the Syrian War.
- Cambodia: Dealing with the Khmer Rouge in the education system (DLF 17.04.25) [courtesy translation]
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Europäische Bildungssysteme zwischen Gerechtigkeit und Selektivität.
Deutschland im Vergleich zu Estland, Spanien und Finnland. - Closing the US-Department of Education? - US President Trump takes the gloves off
