Education and social policy

Question 1

What did ‘The 1944 Education Act’ established?

Answer 1

Three types of schools under the ‘Tripartite system’:

• Grammar schools (11+ exam)
• Secondary modern school
• Technical school (vocational skills)

Question 2

Comprehensives are intended to:
1.
2.

Answer 2

1. break down class divisions by ensuring that everyone is educated equally
2. created more equal opportunities

Question 3

Criticisms of comprehensives schools

Answer 3

1. They lowered standards by undermining the education offered by grammar schools
2. They have poor discipline, making students problematic
3. They were less successful than grammar schools in offering academic education

Question 4

Guess the policy: (NEW RIGHT)

‘Competition would drive up standards, with poorer schools had to improve or teachers’ jobs were at risk’

Answer 4

Formula Funding and Open Enrolment

Question 5

Guess the policy: (NEW RIGHT)

‘To ensure that basic skills are taught consistently, so school leavers are employable’

Answer 5

National Curriculum

Question 6

Guess the policy: (NEW RIGHT)

‘To provide information at all levels of school education and to focus the effort of schools on achieving key targets’

Answer 6

Testing and attainment targets

Question 7

Guess the policy: (NEW RIGHT)

‘To provide information to parents so that they could make rational decisions about choice of schools’

Answer 7

Introduction of league tables and regular, published inspections

Question 8

Guess the policy: (NEW RIGHT)

‘Intended to provide more choice and greater variety in the education system, to encourage further competition’

Answer 8

Introduction of new types of school

Question 9

Middle-class parents were usually privileged/skilled choosers, with cultural and financial benefits to get a better education

Answer 9

Stephen Ball et al. (1994)

Question 10

Working-class parents were usually disconnected choosers, with limited access to private transport and social capital

Answer 10

Stephen Ball et al. (1994)

Question 11

Criticisms of vocationalism:

‘The real purpose of vocational training as the creation of attitudes that made young people easily exploited workers’

Answer 11

Phil Cohen (1984)

Question 12

Criticisms of vocationalism:

‘Training schemes for offering cheap labour for employers, who provided little real training’

Answer 12

Dan Finn (1987)

Question 13

Guess the policy: (social democratic)

‘Extra resources provided for education in disadvantaged inner-city areas’

Answer 13

Excellence in Cities

Question 14

Guess the policy: (social democratic)

‘Provided extra help for pre-school children in deprived areas’

Answer 14

Sure Start

Question 15

Guess the policy: (social democratic)

‘New schools, partly sponsored by businesses, set up to replace failing comprehensive schools’

Answer 15

Academies

Question 16

Guess the policy: (social democratic)

‘Provided payments of up to £30 a week to children from less affluent homes continuing in education after school’

Answer 16

Education Maintenance Allowances

Question 17

Guess the policy: (social democratic)

‘Number of places in higher education was increased rapidly, nearly doubling between 1990 and 2004’

Answer 17

Expansion of higher education

Question 18

Guess the policy: (neoliberal)

‘Schools could specialise in one of 10 areas and select up to 10% of pupils according to aptitude in the specialism’

Answer 18

Specialist schools

Question 19

Guess the policy: (neoliberal)

‘Continued to be used and more details published, including ‘value-added scores based on progress’

Answer 19

Use of league tables

Question 20

Guess the policy: (neoliberal)
‘Provided education, training, voluntary work or subsidised jobs for unemployed young people as well as support from personal advisers’

Answer 20

New Deal for Young People

Question 21

Guess the policy: (neoliberal)

‘To improve the status of vocational qualifications, so they were not seen as second-rate’

Answer 21

Vocational GCSEs and A-levels

Question 22

Guess the policy: (2010-2015)

‘Funded by the state but could be set up by businesses, religious organisations, parents or teachers’

Answer 22

Free schools

Question 23

Guess the policy: (2010-2015)

‘A school performance measure that only took account of pupil performance in traditional academic subjects’

Answer 23

The EBacc (English Baccalaurete)

Question 24

Guess the policy: (2010-2015)
‘Extra money from outside the main schools’ budget sent direct to schools based on the number of pupils in receipt of free school meals.’

Answer 24

Pupil Premium

Question 25

What did David Cameron change about ‘maintenance grants’?

Answer 25

In 2015, maintenance grants for poorer students were removed and replaced by loans.

Question 26

Who defines globalisation as referring to ‘both the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness the world as a whole’?

Answer 26

Roland Robertson (1992)