8. Marketisation Policies 1980s Flashcards
Define Marketisation
Tightly tied to privatisation - services which were previously controlled by government or local authorities are given freedom of control to operate like an independent business
What are the market forces schools were now subject to?
- Supply and demand
- Competition
- Consumer choice
In the 1980s what did schools begin to operate like?
Private businesses.
What did the Conservative party at the time favour?
The neoliberal ideology of marketisation of education based on competition and choice which helps promote better standards.
Before 1988 where were most parents encouraged to send their children?
Encouraged to send children to their local schools
What were the key aims of the Education Reform Act 1988?
-Give more control to parents and schools
-Raise educational standards through competition and choice
-Create an identical curriculum across the country
-Make schools accountable through Ofsted inspections and League tables.
Define Parentocracy
A Childs education depends on the choice of their parents rather than their ability.
What does parentocracy reflect?
Political ideology
AO3 of parentocracy
More affluent parents are able to make more effective choices than other parents
What are 3 factors helping parents choose schools?
- School diversity
- Ofsted inspection reports
- School league tables
What has grown since 1980?
Growing range of different types of state funded schools
Give examples of some state-funded schools
-Community schools
-Academies
-Free schools
-Grammar schools
-Faith schools
- League tables, cream-skimming, educational triage: Which schools will be in higher demand?
Schools with higher exam results will be in higher demand
- League tables, cream-skimming, educational triage: What does more demand for high exam results schools encourage?
Encourages schools to raise standards and climb league tables.
Define Cream-skimming
Good schools can be more selective choosing the highest achieving.
Define Silt-shifting
Schools avoid taking less able pupils who may damage their position in league tables eg working class pupils
- League tables, cream-skimming, educational triage: Which schools can’t be selective with their pupils?
Schools in lower positions can’t be selective so results stay low and the school is unattractive to MC parents.
- League tables, cream-skimming, educational triage: What do league tables encourage?
League tables encourage educational triage - focus is on grade 3/4 students so they pass their GCSE
Define Formula funding
Where schools are allocated funding based on a number of factors
- Formula funding: What are the factors formula funding is based on?
-Pupil characteristics (ages, specific needs, number of pupils)
-School characteristics (location, primary or secondary)
-Local area factors (cost of living, level of deprivation)
- Formula funding: Which schools get more funds?
Popular schools meaning they can afford experienced teachers leading to high exam results and high positions in league tables.
- Formula funding: What can’t schools in lower position afford?
Experiences teachers so results stay low and the school remains unpopular.
- Formula funding: Result of formula funding?
Popular schools with good results & MC pupils thrive. Schools with mostly WC pupils fail so funding is further reduced.
- Formula funding: Conclusion of formula funding?
Competition orientated education systems reproduce social class inequalities
- Myth of parentocracy: Who do marketisation policies advantage?
MC parents
- Myth of parentocracy: What are the 3 types of parents identified?
-Privileged skilled chooser
-Disconnected local choosers
-Semi skilled choosers
- Myth of parentocracy: Who are the Privileged skilled choosers?
Professional MC parents that use their cultural, social and economic capital to take advantage of choses open to them.
- Myth of parentocracy: Who are the Disconnected local choosers?
WC parents with respected choices due to lack of capital.
- Myth of parentocracy: Who are the Semi skilled choosers?
Mainly WC parents but are more ambitious for their children, rely on other peoples opinions of schools.
Define Privatisation
When services once owned and provided by the state are now tranferred to private companies.
What are the 2 main types of privatisation in education?
- Endogenous
- Exogenous
Define Endogenous
Privatisation of education within the system, schools and universities operate more like private businesses
Examples of Endogenous privatisation
-Competition between schools for students
-Efficient running of schools
-Performance related pay for teachers
-League tables & inspections
Define Exogenous
Privatisation outside the education system, private profit making businesses deliver parts of education previously run by the state.
Examples of Exogenous privatisation
-School services eg training, maintenance, catering & cleaning.
-Management
-School inspections eg Ofsted
-School branding eg website construction, logo
-External exams
Positive evaluation of privatisation
-More business like so schools more efficient, more children educated to a higher standard.
-More choice for parents
-Profit motive may encourage companies to improve schools with poor quality education.
Negative evaluation of Privatisation
-Money may be drained from the education system
-Cherry picking which schools to improve
-Private companies may go out of business leaving children without schools
-Making money may override needs of children.
