education- educational policy and inequality Flashcards
marketisation
what is marketisation
the process of introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition between suppliers into areas run by the state
marketisation
how has marketisation created an education market
- by reducing direct state control over education
- increasing competition between schools and parental choice of school
marketisation
who introduced the 1988 education reform act
the new right, Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher
marketisation
after margaret thatcher: 1997 and 2010
- tony blair + gordon brown followed similar policies, emphasising standards, diversity and choice
- conservative-liberal democrat coalation took marketisation further, e.g. academies and free schools.
marketisation
why do neoliberals and the new right favour marketisation
- schools have to attract customers (parents) by competing with eachother in the market
- schools that give customers what they want (good exam results) will thrive
- those that dont “rightfully” go out of business.
marketisation
parentocracy promotes marketisation, some policies that encourage this are:
- publication of league tables, ofsted reports
- business sponsorship of schools
- open enrolment (1st 2nd 3rd choice)
- specialist schools
- formula funding (same funding for each pupil)
- being allowed to opt out of local authority
- compete for pupils
- allowing parents and others to set up free schools
marketisation
how does marketisation in education create diversity, more choice and higher standards?
power shifts from teachers and schools to parents
marketisation
how does marketisation reproduce inequality
middle class parents are more likely to have done well in education themselves and they have the cultural capital to choose a good school.
some schools are oversubscribed (too many applications) so will reslut to catvhment area, parents with more money can however buy house near by
marketisation
effects of publishing school league tables: cream-skimming and silt-shifting
- league table published
- better results>more popular>increased funding/can cream skim pupils however silt-shifting (afford taking less able students)
- worse results>less popular >less funding/can afford to not be selective>less able (mainly working class) students
marketisation
what is the funding formula
- formula that funds schools based on how many pupils they attract
- popular schools>more funds> better teachers/facilities
- unpopular schools>less funding>worse teachers and facilities
marketisation
what does Gewirtz say about parental choice
* study
* findings
- 1995 study of 14 london secondary schools
- differences in parents economic and cultural capital lead so class differences in how far their choice of school goes
- 3 main types of parents: privilidged-skilled choosers, disconnected-local choosers and semi-skilled choosers
marketisation
who are priviliged- skilled choosers?
- mainly proffesional middle class parents
- use their economic and cultural capital to gain educational capital for their children
- knew how school admissions work (know the importance of putting a school as first choice)
- had time to visit and research schools
- can afford to move/ travel to ensure the best education
marketisation
who are disconnected local choosers
- working class parents
- choice restricted by lack of economic and cultural capitals
- found it difficult to understand school admission procedures, their choices
- attatched more importance to safety and quality of school facilities than educational quality from league tables
- distance/cost of travel restricted them to nearer schools
marketisation
who are semi-skilled choosers
- mainly working class
- ambitious for their children
- lacked cultural capital
- got information from others
- fustrated at inability to get into good schools
marketisation
how does ball argue that parentocracy is a myth that legitimates inequality
- gives the appearance that all parents have equal choice/freedom to choose
- making inequality in education appear fair and inevitable
