Education Policy And Inequality

Question 1

POLICIES- WHAT ARE THEY?

Answer 1

Educational policies are the plans and strategies that different governments introduce.

Question 2

The education reform act 1944

Answer 2

The 1944 Education Reform act began to be shaped by meritocracy. It introduced the tripartite system.

The tripartite system consisted of three different schools.

Access was dependent supposedly on ability and aptitude, which was tested at 11 by the 11+ exam. The 11+ was basically an IQ test.

Question 3

THE TRIPARTITE SYSTEM

Answer 3

Grammar school
Secondary modern school
Technical school

Question 4

Grammar schools

Answer 4

Pupils that passed the 11+. Around 20%
Academic curriculum.
Access to non-manual jobs.
Access to Higher Education.
Mainly middle class.
More boys than girls.

Question 5

Secondary modern schools

Answer 5

For pupils that failed the 11+.
Provided an education for around 75% of all pupils.
Non-academic practical curriculum.
Access to manual work.
Mainly working class.

Question 6

Technical schools

Answer 6

Provided an education for around 5% of all pupils.
Emphasis on technical skills
Not available in all areas.
More boys than girls.

Question 7

The overall effect of the tripartite system

Answer 7

The tripartite system reproduced class inequality. Two social classes were driven into two separate schools that offered unequal opportunities.

Girls were also discriminated against as they were often expected to get a higher grade at 11+ to enter into Grammar School and fewer places were allocated to them.

Question 8

The comprehensive system

Answer 8

1965 saw the introduction of the comprehensive system. The hope was to end the class divide of the tripartite system, by abolishing grammar and secondary modern schools. It was also meant to be the end of the 11+. However, for many sociologists (and others) it was not the end of inequality…

Question 9

Streaming

Answer 9

Ability group streaming.
Middle Class pupils in the higher streams.
Working Class pupils in the lower streams.

Question 10

Two theories on the role of comprehensives

Answer 10

Functionalism
Marxism

Question 11

Functionalism

Answer 11

Functionalists argue that comprehensives promote social integration by bringing children of different social classes together in one school.

They also see it as more meritocratic.

However, an early study by Ford (1969) found little social mixing between working class and middle class pupils largely due to streaming.

Question 12

Marxism

Answer 12

However, Marxists argue that comprehensives are not meritocratic.
Rather, they reproduce class inequality from one generation to the next through the continuation of streaming and labelling.

Question 13

The comprehensive system 2

Answer 13

THE MYTH OF MERITOCRACY:
Same school= same opportunity- this was a myth!

SURVIVAL OF GRAMMAR SCHOOLS:
Not all LEA’s decided to go comprehensive (particularly if they were conservative controlled)

Question 14

Marketisation and parentocracy

Answer 14

Education Reform Act (1988): Introduced by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher

Question 15

1988 ERA:key policies

Answer 15

Publication of league tables
Ofsted inspections
Formula funding

From 1997, Tony Blair’s government followed similar policies

Question 16

Cream skimming and silt shifting

Answer 16

Will Bartlett (1995) says that the increased pressure has lead to class segregation between schools.

Cream skimming: Selecting higher ability pupils who cost less to teach!

‘Silt-shifting’: Off-loading those with learning difficulties who are expensive to teach and get poor results!

Question 17

Parentocracy MIRIAM DAVID

Answer 17

Miriam David (1993)- describes the shift of power from the producers (state, school, teachers) to the consumers (parents!).

Question 18

The myth of parentocracy

Answer 18

Ball & Whitty (1994) argue that parentocracy is a myth! It created inequalities between schools!
WHY?
Not all parents have the ability to send their child to the best schools.

Leech & Campos: Selection by mortgage!

Question 19

What is formula funding

Answer 19

Governments use a funding formula to determine how much money should be allocated to each school. Since 1988 this formula has focused on funding per child, although a range of other factors are taken into account.