2010 - present Flashcards
Educational reforms, 2010 – 2015
Both the Cons-Lib Dem Coalition (2010-2015) and the current Conservative governments continued the policy of marketisation of education.
Policies introduced under the coalition government
Free schools Academies University fees and EMA Pupil premium Changes to the curriculum
Free school
State funded school can be set up by anyone free from LEA control do not have to follow the NC do not have to employ professional teachers can set their own admissions criteria.
Aim
raise standards by taking control away from the state and giving parents the power.
Criticisms:
only benefit m/c children whose parents have the cultural capital to know how to open such a school.
- Therefore, these schools widen the gap between the rich and the poor.
Only appear to raise standards, but in fact they tend to get good results because of their strict pupil selection policies.
Academies
All schools, not just the failing ones, are encouraged to leave local government control and become academies.
Outstanding schools do not need business sponsorship.
Funding is given directly to academies so the schools themselves decide how the money is spent.
Academies also have control over the curriculum taught in their school.
This is further marketising education as schools are now run like business.
Criticism:
Ball - these policies have created fragmentation of the education system as now there is a variety of provision which limits the equality of opportunity.
University fees and EMA
The fees have been increased to as much as £9000 per year.
While the EMA has been abolished.
These spending cuts are having a -ve impact on pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds as it discourages them from staying in further education and going onto higher education.
The curriculum
A Levels were toughened up by removing modular exams thus limiting the opportunities for re-sits.
The National Curriculum changes – the focus is on learning ‘facts’ rather than developing skills. This makes education more traditional.
Introducing the English baccalaureate - pupils will be encouraged to take GCSEs in English, Maths, Science, MFL and a humanities subject. It is these that now go towards the school’s position in the league tables.
Criticism:
Ball – these reforms are introducing the ‘curriculum of the dead’ – the reforms are trying to replace modernist curriculum with an authoritative curriculum of tradition.
- It is therefore a curriculum of the dead as its focus lies in the past.
The changes to A Levels is negatively affecting w/c students who are now more likely to get lower grades as there are fewer opportunities for re-sits and they lack the cultural capital to succeed in exams.
Pupil Premium
Schools in disadvantaged areas receive the Pupil Premium – extra funding for the students on FSM.
Aim: compensate students for the disadvantages they face.
Criticism: schools received around £900 per student on FSM, but this is a lot lower that the extra funding schools received under NL.
this money is meant to be spent on the more disadvantaged pupils, but it often isn’t as head teachers have the power to decide how the money is spent.
