Educational policies 1944-1988 Flashcards
What was education in 1944?
Tripartite system
What was the 1944 school system influenced by?
students supposedly allocated to schools based off their ability identified by the 11+
What were the three schools within the tripartite system?
technical, secondary modern,Grammar schools
criticisms of the tripartite system
- kids who failed 11+ felt weak
- Culturally bias in favour of middle class
- Gender bias girls marks adjusted due to boys maturing later myth
- Not many technical schools were built
Percentage of who attended each school in tripartite school system.
5% - technical schools
20% - grammar schools
75% - secondary model schools
What was the educational aim in 1965+
comprehensivisation –> a need to reduce social class differences with all people being able to access equality of opportunity
what influenced the 1965 need for social equality in education
influenced by labour
What was the functionalist viewpoint on comprehensivisation in 1965?
- argue that comprehensive promotes social integration by bringing children of different social classes together
- see the comprehensive system as meritocratic as it gives students longer period to develop and show abilities rather than sorting into a tripartite
Marxist viewpoint on the comprehensivisation in 1965?
- Argue they are not meritocratic but rather reproduce class inequality through streaming and labelling → these continue to deny equal opportunity
- By not selecting students at 11 justifies the myth of meritocracy making underachievement seem fault of individual rather than the system
Criticisms of comprehensivisation 1965?
- schools still sort into sets dependent on test scores
- schools tend to be single-class
What changed in the 1970’s in education?
New vocationalism –> The need to focus on the aims of education to produce skilled workers.
Criticisms of 1970’s new vocationalism
- Enforces good work discipline not skills
- Vocational not regarded as highly
- Forces girl into stereotypical jobs
What was the 1988 era ?
A time of the Education Reform act
What policies were added in 1988 to better standards in education?
- National curriculum introduced
- Ofstead to serve school inspections
- Academies –> schools ability to opt out and get money directly from the government
What policy its were made to create a system of choice and competition within education?
- Parents have a choice of which school they sent their child to
- choice made using league tables
-‘parentocracy’ power of parents - Schools worked like businesses and advertised for parents
What testing was introduced?
More standardised testing
- SATS,GCSE,GNVQ
- League tables created to display these results
Criticisms of the 1988 policy
- Middle class parents have more of an advantage in an educational market
- Constant testing can be stressful
-Ball claimed the curriculum was outdated and believed parentocracy was a myth as not all parents had the choice
Evaluation of the 1988 ERA
Marketisation has been dominant for 30 years
Gerwitz - middle class have an advantage as they can play the system
skilled/unskilled / semi-skilled choosers
what is marketisation?
the process of introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition between suppliers into areas run by the state such as education.
What is a parentocracy?
‘rule by parents’ it is the parents running marketisation as the power is shifted away from producers ( teachers and schools)
What is cream skinning in regards to education?
‘good schools’ are able to be more selective,choose their own customers and recruit high achieving pupils.
What is silt-shifting in regards to education?
Good’ schools can avoid taking less able pupils who are likely to get poor results and will not damage the schools league tables
What is funding formula?
a funding per child for schools
What is the impact of funding formulas?
So popular schools get more funds → can access better teaching and better facilities
More funding also allows schools to be more selective and attract more ambitious applicants
