coalition government policies from 2010

Question 1

what changes did the 2010 coalition government make to education?

Answer 1

• accelerated the shift away from local authority-run comprehensive schools
• policies influenced by neoliberal and new right ideas
• aimed to reduce the role of the state in education
• promoted marketisation and privatisation of education

Question 2

what was the aim of the 2010 coalition’s education policy according to david cameron?

Answer 2

• to encourage excellence, competition, and innovation
• aimed to free schools from the ”dead hand of the state”
• promoted academies and school budget control
• part of a wider government policy to reduce state spending

Question 3

what changes were made to academies from 2010? (academies)

Answer 3

• all schools encouraged to become academies and leave local authority control
• funding taken from local authority budgets and given directly to academies by central government
• academies given control over their curriculum
• by 2012, over half of all secondary schools had converted to academies
• some academies are run by private educational businesses and funded by the state

Question 4

how did the coalition’s academy policy differ from labour’s?

Answer 4

• labour’s city academies targeted disadvantaged schools and areas to reduce inequality
• the coalition allowed any school to become an academy
• this removed the focus on tackling inequality

Question 5

what are free schools?

Answer 5

• funded directly by the state
• set up and run by parents, teachers, faith organisations, or businesses
• not controlled by the local authority

Question 6

what do supporters say about free schools?

Answer 6

• claim they improve educational standards by reducing state control
• give power to parents and teachers
• allow creation of new schools if people are unhappy with local state schools

Question 7

what are the criticisms of free schools?

Answer 7

• allen argues they mainly benefit children from highly educated families (based on research from sweden where 20% free schools)
• critics say free schools are socially divisive and may lower standards
• sweden’s international educational ranking has fallen since free schools were introduced
• similar schools in the usa (charter schools) have been criticised for raising standards through strict selection and expulsion policies

Question 8

what evidence is there that free schools are socially selective?

Answer 8

• in england, free schools take fewer disadvantaged pupils than nearby schools
• example: in 2011, only 6.4% of pupils at bristol free school were eligible for free school meals
• this compares to 22.5% across the city (department for education, 2012)

Question 9

what does ball argue about promoting academies and free schools? (fragmented centralisation)

Answer 9

• increased fragmentation: the comprehensive system is replaced by a patchwork of diverse provisions, increasing inequality in opportunities
• centralisation of control: central government controls who can become an academy or set up a free school. these schools are funded directly by the government, reducing the role of elected local authorities in education

Question 10

what policies did the conservative-liberal democrat coalition introduce to reduce inequality?

Answer 10

• free school meals for all children in reception, year one, and year two
• pupil premium: additional funding for schools for each pupil from a disadvantaged background

Question 11

what criticisms have been made of the coalition government’s policies to reduce inequality?

Answer 11

• Ofsted found that the pupil premium is often not spent on those it is meant to help
• only one in ten head teachers said the pupil premium significantly changed support for disadvantaged pupils
• as part of the ’austerity’ programme, education spending was cut in many areas
• spending on school buildings was cut by 60%
• many Sure Start centres were closed
• the Educational Maintenance Allowance was abolished
• university tuition fees were tripled to £9,000 per year

Question 12

what are the criticisms of cuts to Sure Start and the EMA?

Answer 12

• cutting Sure Start and the EMA has reduced opportunities for working-class pupils
• increased university fees may discourage WC pupils from entering higher education