Educational Policies

Question 1

What does educational policy mean

Answer 1

It refers to the plans and strategies for education introduced by governments

Question 2

When did school become compulsory

Answer 2

1880- the state made school compulsory for ages 5-13
To equip w/c with basic numeracy and literacy skills needed for routine factory work and instil obedience into them for superiors.

Question 3

what did the 1944 butler education act introduce

Answer 3

The tripartite system

Question 4

What is the tripartite system

Answer 4

This was the introduction of 3 schools and kids were selected to one of these schools according to their ability and aptitude, that was found through the 11+ exam.

They were either sent to a grammar school- academic curriculum, higher education for mainly m/c

Secondary modern schools- practical curriculum, for those who failed the 11+ exam mainly w/c

Technical schools- that were only In some areas so argued the system is bipartite.

Question 5

What was the effects of the butler education act of 1944 that introduced the tripartite system

Answer 5

The tripartite system was said to increase class inequality by channelling the two classes into diff schools that provided unequal opportunities. leading w/c into factory jobs and m/c into professional jobs.

It also reproduced gender inequality as girls had to score higher on the 11+ exam to get into grammar schools.

Question 6

1965 - the comprehensive system
What was its aim and What is it

Answer 6

It aimed to overcome class inequality by getting rid of grammar schools and secondary modern schools along with the 11+ exam and replaced them with comprehensive schools, That everyone attended.

However, it was up to the local education authority whether or not they went ‘comprehensive’ so not all areas did.

Question 7

What are the positives and negatives of the 1965 comprehensive act

Answer 7

✅- gives more equal opportunity to both classes
-mixes social classes together- less divide
- no entry test

❌-mixed ability classes didn’t work for some
- too large- Impersonal teaching
-standard for teaching not as good
- brigh kids robbed of the higher quality of teaching at grammar schools.

Question 8

Fgf

Question 9

Who introduced the 1988 education reform act and what was their aim by introducing it.

Answer 9

Conservative government - Margaret thatcher
- she wanted to improve the standard of education by putting schools against each other to attract students.

Question 10

What policies came under The 1988 education reform act

Answer 10

• the national curriculum
  -marketisation of education
  -league tables
  -formula funding
  -OFSTED
  -SATS tests

Question 11

1988 education reform act- what does the marketisation of education mean

Answer 11

This is the idea that schools are now run more like business’ with importance placed on money and consumers leading to schools competing for students and funding.
-This competition includes getting higher on league tables and getting Better OFSTED reports than other schools to attract the ‘consumers’ (students and parents) so they can get more formula funding.

Question 12

1988 education reform act- policies that promoted marketisation

Answer 12

-promotion of parentocracy
- league tables
-Ofsted
-business sponsorship of education
-formula funding
-allowing people to set up free schools not ran by the state

Question 13

1988 education reform act- what is parentocracy

Answer 13

It means ‘rule by parents’ - League tables and ofsted reports that rank schools depending on results and standard of the schools education allows parents to make fully informed choices about what school they send their kids to.

Question 14

1988 education reform act- what is formula funding and how does formula funding and league tables reproduce inequality

Answer 14

-schools are given funds based on how many students they attract - so more popular schools can afford better qualified teachers, better facilities and resources.
This popularity also allows them to be more selective with pupils so they’re more likely to pick higher achieving m/c kids to get higher on the league table.
-therefore unpopular schools have less funding so have lower quality teachers and facilities and can be less selective so likely to have w/c kids.
-this reproduces class inequality as it gives m/c a better education so more chance of success in the future.

Question 15

Gerwirtz - differences in parental choice

Answer 15

Gerwirtz believes parental choice of schools benefits m/c parents who’s economic and cultural capital puts them in a better position to choose good schools for their kids.
she identifies 3 types of parents when choosing schools

Privileged-skilled choosers- middle class who know how admission works, look at league tables, results, clubs, facilities

Disconnected-local choosers- find admission process difficult, take into account distance and cost, choose school by convenience w/c parents

Semi-skilled choosers- w/c still ambitious for their children but rely on personal opinions of schools eg friends,relatives.

Question 16

Evaluation of marketisation

Answer 16

❌- the myth of parentocracy - marketisation makes it appear that all parents have the same free choice of what school they send their kid too. However gerwitz showed that m/c parents use their economic and cultural capital to take better advantage of the choices available. Eg they can afford to move into catchment areas of better schools.

❌-league tables and formula funding = popular schools to be more selective with pupils so they’re more likely to pick higher achieving m/c kids to get higher on the league table and unpopular schools have less funding so have lower quality teachers and facilities and can be less selective so likely to have w/c kids. Reproducing class inequality.

Question 17

Who introduced policies from 1997-2010 and what was their aim

Answer 17

New labour
Their aim was to reduce educational inequality

Question 18

1997-2010 new labour gov- what policies did they introduce

Answer 18

-sure start - help kids in disadvantages areas by providing better childcare, early education and health and family support.

-excellence in cities- provide extra resources in disadvantages inner-city areas to help them overcome economic and social disadvantages. Eg learning centres.

Educational maintenance allowance (EMAs) £30 a week to students in low income families so they can provide themselves with the educational resources they need, lunch money etc.

-no more than 30 in a class and increased funding for state education

Question 19

Evaluation of new labour (1997-2010)

Answer 19

❌- they didn’t get rid of educational inequality adequately and actually increased them in some ways eg they added tuition fees for higher education which makes it less accessible to w/c pupils. This contradicts what their aim is.

❌- study shows even those who were part of sure start policies and Had EMA still were underachieving in school showing they are not as effective as suggested.

Question 20

Who introduced policies from 2010-2015 and what was their aim

Answer 20

The coalition government
Wanted to reduce the role of the state in education through marketisation and privatisation of education.
-they wanted to again encourage competition between schools.

Question 21

Coalition government 2010-1015- what policies did they introduce

Answer 21

Academies- state schools encouraged to become academies which were free from state control and the national curriculum. Focused mainly on poor areas to replace underachieving comprehensive schools.

Free school- not run by the state but funded by the government it gives parents and teachers the Chance to make their own schools that don’t need to teach the national curriculum, if they’re unhappy with state schools in their area.

❌Increased tuition fees however larger students loans given and was debt gone after 30 years to encourage poorer kids to go uni

❌EMA (educational maintenance allowance) abolished and coursework removed

✅Pupil premium- extra money given to schools for every pupil who comes from a poor background - help attract poorer kids to better schools and reduce social inequality. THEY ALSO INTRODUCED FREE SCHOOLS MEALS

Question 22

Evaluation of the coalition gov (2010-2015)

Answer 22

❌pupil premium was ineffective - made little to no difference to support poorer kids as the money was most likely spent on other matters in the school and not on improving educational achievement amount poorer kids.

❌free schools reinforce inequality- most likely m/c parents running it so attracts m/c who are more likely to do well in these schools and the free schools in high demand likely to become selective and choose high achieving m/c kids- so reinforces class inequality

Question 23

What policies target gender inequality

Answer 23

• national curriculum- boys and girls studying same subjects
  -GIST and WISE - helps encourage girls to study subjects that are in a male gender domain.
  -removal of course work to end of year exams
  -recruitment of male primary schools teachers

Question 24

What policies target class inequalities

Answer 24

Sure start
EMA
Pupil premium
Free school meals

Question 25

Summary of policies from 1944

Answer 25

Butler education act introduced the - Tripartite system
- Grammar schools
-secondary modern schools
-technical school that weren’t really made a thing so the system became a bipartite system.

-placed in one of these schools by 11+ test results.

❌- reprocuded class inequality

Question 26

Summery of policies from 1965

Answer 26

The comprehensive system - labour gov
-abolished 11+ exam,
-wanted to replace all schools with comprehensive schools
✅- more equal opportunity
Socially mixed - less divide
No entry exam
❌- teaching standard lower as so many kids
Teaching impersonal
Mixed ability classes often didn’t work

Question 27

Summary 1988 education reform act

Answer 27

Conservative gov- thatcher
- national curriculum, formula funding, league table, OFSTED
-marketisation of education (competition between schools) u
-parentocracy -choice to parentsv
-free schools - not ran by the state

-prep kids for work, increase standard of ed through competition

Question 28

Summary of policies from 1997- 2010

Answer 28

New labour - aim to reduce class inequality in education- policies they made that we’re good and bad for this.
✅- excellence in cities, sure start, EMA, no more than 30 in a class, more money for schools
❌- tuition fee for higher education

Question 29

Summary of policies made in 2010- 2015 cohalition gov

Answer 29

Academies, free schools not ran by the state
-marketisation and privatisation of education
-increase tuition fees but also increased student loan and scraped debt after 30 years to encourage w/c to go uni.
-EMA abolished

They Wanted to reduce the role of the state in education through marketisation and privatisation of education.

Question 30

What does the privatisation of education mean

Answer 30

It involves the transfer of schools being owned by the state to owned by private companies.

Question 31

What are the two types of privitisation of education

Answer 31

Endogenous privatisation - the way schools are ran more like private businesses eg competition between schools, parentocracy, league tables

Exogenous privatisation- how the private business sector is moving into the education system to make a profit eg school building design, school website, promoting and branding of school.

Question 32

Evaluation of privitisation of education

Answer 32

✅- raises educational standards as schooling becomes a competitive market it means schools can choose the most effective private education company that increases quality of teaching and facilities in schools.

❌- however - these private companies are profit driven so may not want to put a lot of money into the school and therefore quality of education could actually be poor and not improved.

❌- private companies are likely to ignore challenging schools with less able children as they will have to put more money and effort into it, so w/c kids at likely neglected and remain underachieving therefore reproducing class inequality.

Question 33

What does globalization of education mean

Answer 33

Means there is now a global system of education, where there’s an integration of similar education systems worldwide.

Question 34

What was the effect of globalisation on education

Answer 34

Globalisation of education led to international comparison.
This means they compare the results in schools between several countries and those doing the best can give advice to other countries to change their policies.

Example of this is PISA (programme for international student assessment)

Question 35

Evaluation of globalisation of education

Answer 35

✅- international comparison- provides factual evidence for governments that can help them introduce new policies that can improve the quality and standard of education in all diff countries.

❌- PISA is not a valid test- as all countries have completely different cultures and the education systems are not comparable as other factors can effect educational results eg uk has 24,000 schools compared to 350 in Singapore