Global Guardianship and Policy Futures: Reassessing Education through Anticipatory Governance

Anticipatory Governance and Global Education Policy: A Critical Response to Susan L. Robertson

This assignment required a critical response to a compulsory or supplementary reading from the first four weeks of the course. The task involved demonstrating clear comprehension of the author’s main arguments, providing a critical analysis of strengths, assumptions, and implications, and connecting the reading to relevant theories, policies, or educational experiences. The objective extended beyond summarisation, demanding critical engagement with the reading’s influence on education policy and practice. The submitted response meets these expectations by presenting a well-structured, analytical critique of Susan L. Robertson’s (2022) article "Guardians of the Future." The response examines how international organisations such as UNESCO and the OECD use anticipatory governance to shape educational futures on a global scale. Core assumptions such as promissory legitimacy and the prioritisation of economic rationality are critically evaluated and contextualised within wider theoretical frameworks, including neoliberalism, governmentality, and global governance. The analysis integrates scholarly literature and connects the reading to current policy frameworks such as Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), highlighting the practical implications for national education systems. The conclusion emphasises the importance of developing education policy that balances forward-looking strategies with inclusive, culturally grounded, and democratically accountable approaches.