Educational Polices Related To Social Groups

Question 1

Ringrose - compensating for boys

Answer 1

• claims critics of feminism believe girls have succeeded at the expense of boys and it has caused a moral panic about ‘failing’ boys; causing a major shift in educational policy, which is now preoccupied about raising boys achievement.
• In response to concerns over the attainment gap between girls and bovs, an overhaul of GCSEs in 2013 marked the removal of assessments based on coursework and a return to ‘final exams’. This was a policy that was underpinned by assumptions that girls ‘bedroom culture (McRobbie) facilitated their efforts in organising and presenting coursework and boys were more motivated by the ‘high stakes’ of the final exam.
• The content for English qualifications was reviewed and material selected for study was judged to be equally appealing to both genders. AQA ‘power and conflict’ v ‘love and relationships’

Question 2

jackson - marketisation polices

Answer 2

• marketisation policies have created a more competitive climate in which schools see girls as desirable recruits because they achieve better exam results.
- Jackson notes that the introduction of league tables has improved opportunities for girls: high achieving girls are attractive to schools, whereas low-achieving boys are not.
•This tends to create a self- fulfilling prophecy – because girls are more likely to be recruited by good schools, as perceived as more likely to do well.

Question 3

Critising compensating for boys

Answer 3

• However, the average attainment 8 score from 2019 gives a 5.5 difference between boys. 25% of girls entries were top grades, 18% for boys - early indications are that changes to GCSE are not having the intended impact. Again, there is the question whether the causal elements that contribute to data lie solely within the domain of the school - Research has shown that there are significant differences in primary socialisation that may facilitate school

Question 4

Ball - curriculum content (ethnicity)

Answer 4

• The National Curriculum is the basis of marketisation policies. A common set of guidelines on what needs to be taught has provided the ability to make comparisons between schools.
• The differentiation of outcomes between the majority of students and minority ethnic groups including Afro Caribbean students may in part be attributed to the ethnocentric content of the curriculum

• Ball - The national curriculum ignored ethnic diversity as it promoted an attitude of “little Englandism” ignores history of ethnic minorities