7. Educational Policies 1944-1987

Question 1

What are the 3 aims of educational policy?

Answer 1

1. Economic efficiency (for future workforce)
2. Raising educational standards
3. Equality of educational opportunity

Question 2

1.Economic efficiency: Where does Britain currently rank in wold economies?

Answer 2

Britain ranks 7 in world economies

Question 3

1.Economic efficiency: What needs to happen in order to maintain position in world economies?

Answer 3

A skilled labour force

Question 4

1.Economic efficiency: What requires high levels in order for a skilled labour force?

Answer 4

High levels of literacy and numeracy

Question 5

2. Raising educational standards: what does Britain need?

Answer 5

Britain needs well educated but also creative, innovative, entrepreneurial individuals. setting high standards in school meets this need.

Question 6

3. Equality of educational opportunity: What is key to a meritocratic society?

Answer 6

Having equal opportunity to develop your talents and skills

Question 7

3. Equality of educational opportunity: What does a meritocratic system allow for?

Answer 7

Every child to have an equal chance of developing their talents and abilities

Question 8

3. Equality of educational opportunity: What did Gillborn and Youdell identify as 4 essential factors to a meritocratic system?

Answer 8

1. Equality of access
2. Equality of circumstances
3. Equality of participation
4. Equality of outcome

Question 9

3. Equality of educational opportunity: What did Gillborn and Youdell say about a successive government ?

Answer 9

“Successive governments claim to have improved equality of access but rarely look at the other three”

Question 10

Equality of access: What was the Forster Act 1870?

Answer 10

The first educational policy which created state funded schools for children ages 5-10 known as elementary schools

Question 11

Equality of access: what was the aim of The Butler Act 1944?

Answer 11

To provide free secondary education for all to remove inequalities in access between the poor and rich

Question 12

Equality of access: what was the Triparte system?

Answer 12

Where 3 types of secondary schools were established:
1. Grammar Schools (pass 11+ exam)
2. Secondary modern schools (fail 11+ exam)
3. Technological colleges (training for manual labour)

Question 13

Ideological aim of the Tripartite System:

Answer 13

-Selective and suitable education
-Equality oof oppotunity
-Meritocratic (using the same IQ test for all)

Question 14

Reality of the Triparte System:

Answer 14

-Future outcomes determined by a test taken at age 10
-Grammar schools pupils were more likely to come from middle class families.
-Those who failed 11+ more likely working class
-Secondary modern viewed as inferior
-Those who fail 11+ suffer low self esteem

Question 15

Conclusions of the Tripartite System:

Answer 15

-10 is to young to determine futures
-Tripartite system helped reproduce class inequalities
-Potential of many children wasted as being labelled as less intelligent ‘failures’

Question 16

Key aims of Comprehensive schools:

Answer 16

To overcome the social class inequalities sustained by the Tripartite system add provide the same educational opportunities for all children

Question 17

Key actions of comprehensive Schools

Answer 17

The Tripartite system was abolished and children not selected by examination

Question 18

Advantages of the Comprehensive system

Answer 18

-Opportunities for all
-Fewer leave education without qualifications + more obtain higher standards
-Reduced risk of labelling students as ‘failures’
-Avoids tendency for w/c pupils to be assigned to lower status

Question 19

Disadvantages of the Comprehensive System

Answer 19

-Gramma schools ‘cream skim’
-Comprehensives operate a streaming system
-Class differences in achievement remain largely unchanged

Question 20

What are the five different ways or organising school admissions

Answer 20

1. Ability
2. Aptitude
3. Faith
4. Over-subscription criteria
5. Covert selection

Question 21

Which schools can select students by ability?

Answer 21

Only grammar schools and private schools can now select by academic ability

Question 22

Define Aptitude

Answer 22

Potential in certain subjects such as PE, Science, maths Specialist schools are allowed to select up to 10% of their pupils on this basis

Question 23

Define Faith

Answer 23

Religious schools may select a proportion of their pupils based on the religious beliefs and commitment of their parents

Question 24

Define Over-subscription criteria

Answer 24

Priority is given to: those in care, ave siblings at the school, those living in catchment area, those eligible for pupil premium

Question 25

Define Covert selection

Answer 25

some schools are accused of ‘cherry picking’ bright and wealthy pupils. They might do this by putting off less able parents by lengthy and complicated admissions forms and procedures