Governing through Time(s): Temporal Modes of Governance in Digital Education Policy

Overview & Synopsis

In recent years, there has been a renewed focus on temporality in education policy and governance. This article aims to contribute to this growing body of literature by examining a recent digital education policy initiative in Flanders (Belgium) called 'Digisprong'. Arguing that time, in relation to space, in education policy is relationally produced rather than existing 'out there', the article advances a relational interpretation of the concept of 'temporal governance'. Encompassing the different ways time governs education, this offers a heuristic to empirically study temporalities in education policy. The analysis illustrates how Digisprong shapes three temporal modes of governance: futurization by flattening the past, acceleration through recalibration, and creating conditions for timeliness. Conclusively, we contend that when examining educational time(s), it becomes evident that different temporalities of education governance are not isolated. Instead, they are intricately enacted simultaneously and differentially, highlighting the need for empirical research on time in education.