Educational Policies - 3.3 Flashcards
1
Q
Education before 1998 Key Sociologists
A
> Marxist (View of Comprehensives)
> Functionalists (View of Comprehensives)
2
Q
Which Act brought in the Tripartite System
A
1944 Education Act
3
Q
From 1944 what did Education begin to become influenced by?
A
Idea of Meritocracy
4
Q
How did Allocation of Kids to School work in the Tripartite System?
A
Pupils did 11+ exam and were allocated to 1 of 3 types of secondary based on their abilities.
5
Q
3 Types of School in Tripartite System
A
> Grammar Schools
Secondary Modern Schools
Technical Schools
6
Q
Define Grammar Schools & what % attended?
A
- Academic curriculum w/ access to prof jobs and HE, for kids w/ academic ability, passed the 11+ exam & MC.
- 20% attended
7
Q
Define Secondary Modern Schools & what % attended?
A
- Access to manual work for kids who failed 11+ mainly WC
- 80% attended
8
Q
Define Technical Schools & what % attended?
A
- Vocational education, existed in few areas so in practice it was bipartite not tripartite system.
- 5% attended
9
Q
How did Tripartite System reproduce Class Inequality
A
Challenging WC & MC into 2 dif types of schools, offering unequal opportunities.
10
Q
How did Tripartite System reproduce Gender Inequality
A
Needing girls to get higher marks than boys in 11+ to go grammar schools.
11
Q
How did Tripartite System Legitimated Inequality
A
- Fair as everyone takes same exam, so have = chance
- But in reality pupils’ environment affects chances of success.
12
Q
When was the Comprehensive School System
A
1965 -
13
Q
What did Comprehensive School System aim to do?
A
Aimed to make education meritocratic, fixing inequality in tripartite system.
14
Q
What was abolished as a result of the intro of Comprehensive School System?
A
> 11+ abolished, all pupils attending local comprehensives
> Not all areas went comprehensive, so they’re still grammar skls in UK.
15
Q
Criticisms of the Intro of the Comprehensive School System
A
Comprehensives are large skls so lack individual attention.
16
Q
Functionalists View of Comprehensives
A
> Fulfils essential functions, e.g. social solidarity & meritocratic role allocation.
> Mertiocratic as they give pupils longer to develop & show abilities.
> Promote integration bringing all social classes, together in 1 school.
17
Q
AO3 - Education before 1998 Key Sociologists
A
> Ford (Functionalist view on Comprehensives)
18
Q
Ford Criticisms of Functionalist View on Comprehensives
A
Due to streaming, little mixing of social classes in skl.
19
Q
Marxists View of Comprehensives
A
> Serves interests of capitalism, reproducing & legitimating class inequality.
> Reproduce class inequality from 1 generation to next through continuation of streaming and labelling.
> Legitimates class inequality, through myth of meritocracy, making it seem everyone has = opportunity & failure is due to individual & not system.
20
Q
Define Marketisation
A
- Process of introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition between suppliers into areas run by state
- e.g. education, creating an education market.
21
Q
How Marketisation has created an Education Market?
A
> Reduced direct state control over education
> Increased both competition between schools & parental choice of school
22
Q
What is the significance of the 1988 Education Reform Act?
A
Marketisation became central theme of Gov Education Policy, introduced by Tories
23
Q
Explain the Role of New Labour Gov in 1997 on Education
A
Emphasised standards of diversity & choice in education
24
Q
Explain the Role of the Tory & Democrat Coalition Gov in 2010 on Education
A
Took marketisation further, e.g. creating academies and free schools
25
Marketisation Key Sociologists
> New Right (View of Marketisation)
> David (View on Parentocracy)
> Ball and Whitty (Reproduction of Inequality)
> Barlett (Cream Skimming and Silt Shifting)
> Gewirtz (Parental Choice)
> Ball (Myth of Parentocracy)
26
Explain the New Right view on Marketisation
> Favour it
> Marketisation means schools compete w/ each other have to attract customers (parents)
> Schools providing parents w/ what they want will get extra funding, whereas those who don’t will go out of business.
27
Outline Policies Promoting Marketisation
Incl. league tables, open enrolment, formula funding, opting out of LEA, free schools, academies, business sponsorship.
28
David view on Parentocracy
> In education market, power shifts away teachers & school to parents encouraging diversity among schools.
> Giving parents more choice, raising standards
29
Explain Ball & Whitty's idea of Reproduction of Inequality
Policies like league tables & funding formula reproduce class inequalities between schools.
30
What does School's desire for high league table ranking, encourage according to Barlett?
Cream Skimming
31
Define Cream Skimming
'Good' schools can be more selective, recruiting best MC kids, as result, these kids gain advantage
32
Define Shilt Shifting
Good' Schools, can avoid taking less able pupils who'll get bad results damaging league table position.
33
Give at least 3 examples of Tactics schools use to deter WC kids from joining?
Any 3 of:
- Persuading parents from WC that school is unsuitable for their kids.
- Expensive uniform regulations.
- Making school literature overcomplicated.
- Having complex admission criteria.
- Not promoting the school in poorer areas.
34
According to Barlett what is the effect on Schools with Poor League Table positions
Can’t be selective have to recruit less able WC kids so results are bad & unattractive to MC parents.
35
According to Barlett what is the overall effect of League Tables?
Produce unequal schools, reproducing social class inequalities.
36
What are 2 Marketisation Policies reproducing Inequality?
Funding Formula
| League Tables
37
Explain the Impact of Funding Formula on Unpopular Schools vs Popular Schools?
> Schools funded based on how many pupils they attract
> Popular skls get more funds, improve staffing facilities, be more ambitious & attracting MC kids.
> Unpopular skls, lose income so can’t compete w/ better equipped popular schools, so lose more £££.
38
What was (Institute for Public Policy Research) findings on Competition Oriented Education Systems Producing Inequality?
- Competition-oriented education systems e.g. UK produces more segregation between kids of diff social backgrounds.
39
What are Negative Consequences of Competition in Education?
> Schools try to maintain position in league tables by concentrating resources on those pupils who are most likely to achieve e.g. MC
- Link to Gilbourn and Youdell A-C Economy
- So increases divisions between pupils.
40
What does Gerwitz believe impacts Parental Choice of Schools?
Differences in parents' economic & cultural capital affects how far they can pick schools.
41
What 3 Types of Parents does Gerwitz outline?
> Privileged Skills Choosers
> Disconnected Local Choosers
> Semi-Skilled Choosers
42
Define Privileged Skilled Choosers
> Have economic & cultural capital, so can take advantage of system
> Have time to visit skls & research options available.
> Economic Capital enables Selection by Mortgage: Afford houses in catchment areas of popular skls.
43
Define Disconnected Local Choosers
> WC parents w/ lack of economic and cultural capital
> Find it difficult to understand & less able to manipulate system.
> Focusing on distance & cost of travel, not league tables.
> Place at local skl was only realistic option.
44
Define Semi-Skilled Choosers
> Despite being WC, they were ambitious for kids.
> But found it hard to understand system, relied on other ppl opinions.
> Frustrated at inability to get children into schools they wanted.
45
Explain Ball's Idea of the Myth of Parentocracy
> Marketisation gives appearance of parentocracy
> Making it seems as if all parents have equal ability to choose good skls.
> Conceals class inequalities between parents
> Myth of parentocracy makes education seem fair.
46
Explain 3 New Labour Policies Introduced to Decrease Inequality (1997-2010)
> Intro of Education Action Zones, giving deprived areas additional resources.
> Aim Higher Programme: Raise ambitions of groups underrepresented in HE.
> EMA’s to encourage low-income kids to stay on till HE.
47
A03 Criticisms of New Labour
> Benn (New Labour Paradox)
48
Explain Benn's Criticisms of New Labour?
- Contradiction vs policies to tackle inequality & commitment to marketisation ‘’New Labour Paradox’’
- e.g. EMA’s to help poor kids stay on till HE, but they have to pay uni fees.
49
Identify three policies that may promote the marketisation of education (6 Marks)
> Introduction of Academies, encourages parentocracy as have own curriculum so parents can pick one that suits them
> Publication of league tables and ofsted inspection reports rank each school based on exam results, giving parents info they need to choose the right school.
> Specialist schools like in IT, Sport etc widen parental choice, as Schools may have specialist sport facilities
- e.g equipment that may adhere to a child's interest in sport
50
What are 2 Types of Marketisation
Marketisation
| Privatisation
51
Impact of Conservative-Coalition Government of 2010 on Education
> Quickened move away from education system based on comprehensives run by local authorities.
> Influenced by New Right ideas on reducing role of state in education through marketisation & privatisation
52
What was Conservatives Aims?
Encourage excellence, competition, innovation
53
Changes to Curriculum under Conservative- Coalition Policies Gov
> Intro of EBACC
> AS Levels demphaised
> Coursework removed from majority of subjects
> Most GCSE exams at end of YR11.
54
Explain Coalition Governments focus on Academies?
> All skls encouraged to be academies, funded by central gov, leaving LEA control.
> Some are privately owned chains
> Given control over curriculum
55
Explain Differences Between Labour and Coalition Governments in relation to Academies
> Labours original city academies targeted disadvantaged schools/areas
> Coalition gov, allowed any school to be an academy, removing focus on reducing inequality
56
What are Free Schools?
> Funded by state.
| > But set up & run by parents, teachers, religious groups or businesses not LEA
57
Explain the Views of Supporters of Free Schools
> Improve educational standards, takes control away from state and giving power to parents
> Give parents opportunity to create new schools if they’re unhappy with state schools in that area.
58
Conservative Gov Policies From 2010 Key Sociologists
> Allen (Criticisms on Free Schools)
| > Ball (Fragmented Centralisation)
59
Allen Criticisms on Free Schools
Research from Sweden where 20% of schools are free schools shows they only benefit kids from highly educated families.
60
Critics of Free Schools
> Socially divisive and lower standards
> Sweden's international educational ranking has fallen est their intro of free schools.
> Charter schools in US are like free schools, criticised for appearing to raise standards, but do so by strict pupil selection & exclusion policies.
> Free schools take fewer disadvantaged pupils than local schools
61
Explain Ball's Idea of Fragmented Centralisation
> Fragmented patchwork, instead of comprehensive system, leading to greater inequality
> Education, now more centralised, gov can make school be academies & allow free skls to be set up.
62
What are 2 Coalition Policies Aimed at Reducing Inequality
> FSM: For kids in reception and yr 1/2.
| > Pupil Premium: Money schools receive for every pupil from disadvantaged background
63
What are Ofsted Findings on Pupil Premium
> Pupil premium isn't spent on who it’s meant to help
> 1/10 head teachers said it changed how they supported pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
64
Explain Coalition Government 'Austerity' Programme
> Spending on many areas of education been cut
> Spending on school buildings cut by 60%
> Loads of Sure-Start Centres were closed.
> EMAs was abolished & increases in Uni fees.
65
Criticisms of Coalition Government Policy and Cuts
> Cutting Sure Start and EMAs, reduced opportunities for WC pupils.
> Similarly increasing uni fees may discourage WC from HE.
66
Define Privatisation of Education
> Opening up parts of education to private businesses e.g. staff training, finances, management and exams.
> As a result education becomes source of profit for capitalists
67
What are the 2 Types of Privatisation in Education?
> Endogenous Privatization
| > Exogenous Privatization
68
Privatisation of Education Key Sociologists
> Ball and Youdell (Endogenous/Exo Privatization)
> Ball (Large Scale School Building Projects)
> Pollack (Blurring Public/Private Boundary)
> Buckingham and Scanlon (Privatisation and Globalisation of Educational Policy)
> Molnar (Cola-isation of Schools)
> Ball and Beder (Limited Benefits to Schools through Private Sector Involvement)
> Ball (Education as a Commodity
> Hall (Marxists view on Coalition Gov Policies)
69
Explain Ball & Youdell's Idea of Endogenous Privatization
> Schools operate like priv businesses.
> Manage own affairs, competing w/ other schools for pupils,
> Use target setting & league tables to measure progress.
70
Explain Ball & Youdell's Idea of Exogenous Privatization
> Private businesses design, manage & deliver education (e.g. private chains of academies)
> Private companies take responsibility for exam system
> ICT companies e.g. Apple providing online curriculum content
71
Examples of Exogenous Privatisation
> Setting up of Academies
> Building & Maintaining School Buildings
> Running of Exam Systems & Privatisation and Globalisation of Educational Policy
> Expansion of ESI
72
Explain the Significance of Setting up Academies in relation to Privatisation of Education?
> Led to priv business running schools.
> Academies can get funding from businesses.
> Managed by people w/ expertise in business not teaching.
73
Explain the significance of Building & Maintaining School Buildings in relation to Privatisation of Education?
> Involve public private partnerships (PPPs)
> Private companies provide money to design, build & operate school buildings.
> Contracts last 25yrs+ during where LA pays monthly lease & ongoing costs
74
Explain Ball’s view on Large Scale School Building Projects
> Business involved expected to make up 10x as much profit than they do on other contracts.
> LA have to enter agreements, as their only way of building schools, as of lack of funding by central gov.
75
Explain the significance of Running of Exam Systems in relation to Privatisation of Education
> Edexcel is run by US testing giants Pearson
> Runs exam boards in 70+ countries,
> Paying examiners & writes textbooks.
76
Expansion of ESI - Buckingham & Scanlon
- UK’s 4 leading educational software companies owned by global multinationals e.g. Disney, Mattel, Hambro, Vivendi
- International Corporations more involved in Education e.g. – Google and providing educational services for a profit.
77
Explain the significance of Expansion of the Education Services Industry highlighted by Buckingham and Scanlon in relation to Privatisation of Education (2)
- Some UK educational business work overseas, exporting UK educational policy, for sale abroad e.g. Ofsted
- Nation states less important in policy-making, becoming globalised.
78
Explain the Significance of the Introduction of PISA?
- Measured every 3-5yrs, to compare performance from around the world.
- It creates panic among governments as they want to quickly fix issues so their education system is looked on more favourably.
79
Explain the significance of Blurring the Private/Public Boundary
> Senior Officials from public sector e.g. civil servants & headteachers, join or Set up Private Educational Business
> Bringing insider knowledge to help win contracts.
80
Explain Pollack's view on Blurring Public/Private Boundary
> Flow of personnel allows companies to buy insider knowledge, to help win contracts as well as avoiding LA democracy.
81
Explain the Idea of the Cola-isation of Schools
> Private sector penetrating education indirectly
> Sells to pupils through vending machines in skls.
> Developing brand loyalty, through logos, sponsorships & voucher schemes.
82
Explain Molnar's View on the Cola-isation of Schools
> Schools being targeted by private companies
| > As schools by nature are a kind of product endorsement.
83
Explain Ball and Beder's Idea of Limited Benefits to Schools through Private Sector Involvement
> Cadbury’s Sports Equipment promotion was scrapped, as it was believed kids would have to eat 5K+ chocolate bars just for a set of volleyball posts.
> Beder, Families spent 100K+ in Tesco in return for a single computer in schools
84
Explain Ball's Idea of Education as a Commodity (Ball)
> Education is being privatised, being turned into a commodity to be buyed and sold on the education market.
> Becoming a source of profit for capitalists.
85
What 2 roles is the State Reduced to as a result of Privatisation?
> Commissions educational services, putting them up for contact & deciding which private bidder gets contract.
> Acts as regulator, setting targets, monitoring performance, to ensure private providers, meet certain standards e.g. Ofsted Inspections.
86
Explain Hall's Marxist view on Coalition Gov Policies
> Academies are example of handing over public services to private capitalists, e.g. educational businesses
> Claim we can drive up standards is a myth used to legitimate turning of education into source of private profit.
87
Policies to Tackle Inequality Key Sociologists
> Mirza (Coalition Policies aimed at Reducing Inequality)
| > Gillborn (Social Inclusion)
88
Explain the Significance of Policies on Gender, in relation to Girls
> Females were largely excluded from HE,
> In tripartite system girls had to achieve a higher mark than boys in 11+ to get into grammar skls
> Policies e.g. GIST been introduced to reduce gender differences in subject choice.
89
Explain the Significance of Policies on Ethnicity
> Assimilation Policies in past focused on need for BAME to assimilate into mainstream British culture, to raise their achievement.
> Aiding those without English as 1st Lan
90
Explain the Criticism of Assimilation Policies
> BAME who’re risk of failing e.g Afro-Caribbean speak English, but underachieve due to poverty and racism.
91
Explain the significance of MCEP?
MCEP in past aimed to value all cultures in curriculum, so will raise BAME self-esteem and achievement.
92
A03 Policies to Tackle Inequality Key Sociologists
> Stone (Criticisms of MCEP)
> Critical Race Theorists (Criticisms of MCEP)
> New Right (Criticisms of MCEP)
93
Explain Stone's Criticisms of MCEP
Black pupils don't fail from lack of self-esteem.
94
Explain Critical Race Theorists Criticisms of MCEP
- MCEP picks out stereotypical features of BAME for inclusion in curriculum,
- Fails to tackle institutional racism.
95
Explain New Right Criticisms of MCEP
Perpetuates cultural divisions, taking view it should promote shared national identity that BAME get assimilated.
96
Outline Coalition Policies aimed at Reducing Inequality
> Detailed monitoring of exam results by ethnicity
> Amending Race Relations act placing legal duty on schools to promote racial equality
> Help for Voluntary Saturday Schools in black community
> English as an additional language programme.
97
Explain Mirza's View on Coalition Policies aimed at Reducing Inequality
Edu policy has soft approach focusing on culture, behaviour & home, instead of tackling poverty & racism.
98
Explain Gilborn's View on Social Inclusion
Institutionally racist policies, relating to ethnocentric curriculum, assessment and streaming, still disadvantage BAME.
