MARKETS, TACIT KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION

James Tooley argues that markets in education are both feasible and desirable. Focusing on compulsory schooling he advocates liberalisation organised around individual learning accounts and competing suppliers. He argues his views are implicitly informed by Hayek's economic analysis. I build on this here by drawing particular attention to Hayek's distinction between tacit and codifiable knowledge. I argue this makes Tooley's theoretical critique of compulsory schooling even more far-reaching, as well as pointing to additional policy reforms. I compare these implications with actual schools policy under New Labour.