Educational Policies

Question 1

Aims of educational policies

Answer 1

1. Economic efficiency - develop talents and skills to be used by workforce of Britain
2. Raising educational standards
3. Create equality of educational opportunity - everyone has same chance to develop and earn qualifications

Question 2

Timeline of policies

Answer 2

Pre industrial no state schools only rich could afford to go school (fee)

Industrialisation ( Forster education act) made school compulsory for ages 5-13

1944 - butler act tripartite system

1965 - comprehensive school

1976 - great debate

1979 Vocational education

1988 reform act

1997 new labour

2010 coalition government

Question 3

1944

Answer 3

Butler act - introduction of free, compulsory secondary education.

Use of tripartite system (based on meritocracy)
Have to sit 11+ exam

1) grammar school (m/c superior, most academically able)
2. Secondary modern (inferior)
3. Technical (vocational)

Question 4

Aims of 1944

Answer 4

• create parity of esteem

Question 5

Criticsm of 1944

Answer 5

• reproduced social class differences (m/c done better in exams due to tutor, w/c deprived etc) use of elaborate code
• damaged self esteem leading to self fulfilling prophecy
• no parity of esteem (secondary inferior)

Question 6

1965

Answer 6

Labour government

Comprehensive education

11+ exam abolished. Schooling based on catchment area. Everyone attends regardless of ability/class.

Question 7

Aims of 1965

Answer 7

Cultural rub off

Lower gap of inequalities

Fair opportunity to everyone as access to same resources, teachers, facilities etc

Question 8

Criticsm of 1965

Answer 8

Individual talents overlooked with high flyers being held back by lower ability students

Reproduced social class ( catchment area, w/c to w/c schools) - undermines cultural rub off

Streaming reproduced inequalities (m/c more likely to be in higher bands)

M/c could still afford private educations

Question 9

1976

Answer 9

The great debate by Callaghan

Identified ‘skill crisis’ education system was not equipping young people with skills needed by businesses and whether it met the demands of the economy to be able to compete in a global level

Question 10

1979

Answer 10

Conservative government (thatcher)

New vocational and training in response to skill crisis

• work experience to ease transition from school to work
• expansion of post 16 education and training
• stronger emphasis on ICT skills making it part of national curriculum

Question 11

Aims of 1979

Answer 11

• produce flexible and qualified labour force to meet needs of employers
• tackle unemployment amongst 16-24 yrs old

End status division between academic and vocational education

Question 12

Criticsm of 1979

Answer 12

• work experience seen as tedious, boring and repetitive
• VE seen as inferior
• source of cheap labour

Birdwell et al - schools neglect vocational aspirations and focus on brighter children destined to go higher education

Question 13

1988 - marketisation

Answer 13

Process where education / health have less/no control by government and become subject to free market forces of supply and demand based on competition and consumer choice

Question 14

Aims of 1988

Answer 14

Reform act - marketisation is central theme.

Improves educational standard

Increases choice

Question 15

Policies introduced because of marketisation

Answer 15

• OFSTED
• league tables
• formula funding (schools receive same amount of funding)
• open rolement

Question 16

Parentocracy

Answer 16

Brown - Child’s education is dependent upon wealth and wishes of parents rather than ability/efforts of pupil.

Question 17

Why is parentocracy is a myth

Answer 17

Makes inequality appear fair and inevitable

M/c parents know system better and take advantage of choices

Question 18

Criticsm of 1988

Answer 18

Forced more on able students because of competition

League tables changed and argued not valid

Creaming allows covert selection of the most able pupils dissuade poorer parents from applying

Parentocracy is a myth - m/c parents have links. Know better of the educational system easier access.

Tough and brooks - m/c parents choose schools based on performance w/c based on catchement area

Question 19

1997

Answer 19

New labour
Compensatory educational policies - extra educational help to those of disadvantaged groups to overcome disadvantages they face in education

Question 20

Aims of 1997

Answer 20

Improve material and social deprivation

Increased opportunity regardless of social class and ethnicity

Question 21

Policies of 1997

Answer 21

Policies:

EMA(education maintenance allowances) - payments to students of low income backgrounds to encourage them to stay after national school age to gain better qualifications

Sure start (provided advice and supports for parents

Maximum class size of 30

Introduce tuition fees

Question 22

Criticism of 1997

Answer 22

Tuition fee contradicted policy (deter)

Question 23

2010

Answer 23

Coalition government liberation democrat

Influenced by neoliberal and new right about reducing role of state

Cuts made to education budget as part of the governments general policy of reducing state spending

Question 24

Policies of 2010

Answer 24

Free school meals

Pupil premium (money schools received for eAch pupil from disadvantaged background)

Become academies (given control of budget)

Free schools (set up and run by parents teachers business rather than local authority)

Question 25

Aims of 2010

Answer 25

Encourage competition and innovation Improve educational standards - making it rigorous and demanding

Question 26

Criticisms of 2010

Answer 26

EMA (education maintenance allowance) was abolished (repay putting them into more debt) Tuition fees tripled

Question 27

Privatisation

Answer 27

Services that were once owned and provided by the state are transferred to private companies Key factor in shaping educational policy

Question 28

Two types of privatisation

Answer 28

Endogenous: privatisation within the education system as schools begin to operate more like private businesses E.g competition between students Performance related pay for teachers Parental choice Exogenous: private businesses design and manage aspects of education that were formerly ran by the state E.g building schools Supply teachers running exams system (Pearson)

Question 29

For/against privatisation

Answer 29

Advantages More consumer choice Business like and efficient schools Disadvantages Money may be drained Making money override needs of children Cherry picking profit 'choose best schools'

Question 30

Three selections of education

Answer 30

1. Ability- grammar schools 2. aptitude- potential to be good at certain subject (specialist schools) 3. Religion

Question 31

Globalisation

Answer 31

Growing inter connectedness of societies across the world E.g. Culture, consumer goods, economic interests

Question 32

Use of globalisation

Answer 32

Make economy competitive (technological advancements) Increase immigration (target those academically abled to improve status as school) Educational ideas are shared between nations.