educational policy and inequality

Question 1

before the industrial revolution in the late 18th and 19th century, what was the education system like

Answer 1

education = only available to minorities of upper classes or provided by churches + charities for the poor

Question 2

what increased the need for an educated workforce and when did the sate begin to become more involved in education, what changes were made

Answer 2

industrialisation from late 19th century. education made compulsory for ages from 5 to 13 in 1880

Question 3

what did the type of education received depend on

Answer 3

it depended on social class. schooling did little to change pupils ascribed status

Question 4

what act brought in the tripartite system and in what year???

Answer 4

1944 Education Act bought in tripartite system

Question 5

what is the tripartite system and what does it encourage

Answer 5

allocated students to their abilities + aptitude. encourage meritocracy
11+ exam - grammar schools - offered an academic curriculum + access to non manual jobs + higher education MC

secondary modern schools non - academic practical curriculum + access to manual work for pupils who failed the 11+ WC

technical schools -

Question 6

rather than promoting meritocracy how did the tripartite system reproduce inequality

Answer 6

channelling the two social classes into 2 different types of school that offered unequal opportunities

girls required more marks to pass the 11+

Question 7

how did the tripartite system justify inequality

Answer 7

through the ideology that the ability is inborn.
argued that ability could be measured early on in life (11). however some children environment affects chance of success
more time for intelligent development

Question 8

when was the comprehensive system introduced to the UK

Answer 8

from 1965 onwards

Question 9

how did the comprehensive system make the education system overcome the class divide at the tripartite system

Answer 9

11 + was abolished with grammar + secondary schools to be replaced by comprehensive schools where all people from same area could attend

Question 10

what do functionalists see the comprehensive system as

Answer 10

comprehensive system promotes social integration by bringing different classes to school.

Question 11

how is the functionalist view of the comprehensive system not really true, what sociologist claims this

Answer 11

Ford - found little social mixing in social class because of streaming

Question 12

why do functionalists see the comprehensive system as more meritocratic compared to the tripartite system

Answer 12

it gives students a longer time to develop and show true abilities whereas the tripartite system asks for that at 11

Question 13

how do Marxists view the comprehensive system as not being meritocratic

Answer 13

they produce a continuation of inequality through streaming + labelling from generation to generations

WC pupils are denied of equal opportunity

Question 14

how did marketisation create a education market

Answer 14

reducing the state control of education

increasing competition between schools by parentocracy

Question 15

what policy has marketisation as a central theme

Answer 15

1988 Education reform Act

Question 16

from 1997, and 2010 how was marketisation carried on through society

Answer 16

New Labour Tony Blair followed similar policies emphasising standards, choice + diversity
2010 - conservative - liberal democrat took marketisation further by creating academies + free schools

Question 17

what policies promote marketisation

Answer 17

-publication of league tables + Ofsted inspection are observable

• business sponsorship of schools
• open enrolment - allowing successful schools to recruit more pupils
• specialist schools - specialising in IT, languages….
• allowing free schools to be built

introduction of tuition fees for higher education

Question 18

who coined the term parentocracy

Answer 18

David

Question 19

how does marketisation reform act reproduce inequalities according to these sociologists

Answer 19

Ball + Whitty
marketisation policies e.g league tables produce inequalities between schools themselves

Question 20

what do league tables encourage according to this sociologist

Answer 20

Bartlett
cream - skimming. good schools can choose to be selective to high achievers

silt - shifting - good schools avoid those who may be damaging to the schools reputation + league table position

Question 21

what is the funding formula

Answer 21

schools gain money based on how many students are recruited

Question 22

how does the funding formula cause inequalities between schools

Answer 22

popular schools get more funds so they can afford better qualified teachers + facilities they can afford to be selective (MC)

unpopular schools loose demand + income reproduces a low subscription as low investment on equipment + staff

Question 23

public policy research (2012)

Answer 23

competition - oriented education systems e.g Britains produce segregation between children of different social backgrounds

Question 24

how does parents economic and cultural capital cause inequality according to this sociologist

Answer 24

gerwitz study of 14 London secondary schools
differences in parents economic + cultural capital lead to differences in how they choose

privileged - skilled choosers - professional MC parents use economic + cultural capital to convert it into educational capital. know how school admissions work e.g putting schools as first choice + research

disconnected local choosers - WC choices restricted by lack of economic + cultural capital. difficult to understand admission process
distance + cost are restrictions in choice of school

semi - skilled choosers - WC unlike disconnected chooser, they are ambitious for their children but they lacked the capital to make it make sense

Question 25

how does Ball believe that parentocracy reproduced inequality

Answer 25

Ball - argues parentocracy is a myth, not a reality
makes it appear that all parents have the same choice in school

Question 26

why does Gerwitz think that parentocracy is a myth

Answer 26

MC parents better at understanding + taking advantage of the choices available

Question 27

how are MC parents privileged according to Leech + campos

Answer 27

MC can use economic capital to move somewhere with a good catchment area - to educational capital

Question 28

what policies did the New Labour from 1997 - 2010 introduce to decrease inequality

Answer 28

• designating deprived areas as Education Action Zones + providing them with resources
• Aim Higher programme raise aspirations of group under represented in higher education
• Education Maintenance Allowances to encourage them to stay in education and not leave to work
• increased funding for state education

Question 29

what is a contradiction of New Labour policies according to Benn + example of contradiction

Answer 29

contradiction of New Labour policies to tackle inequality + commitment to marketisation - the new labour paradox

despite introducing EMA - labour also introduced tuition fees for higher education that may decrease applicants

Question 30

the conservative led government years in action

Answer 30

2010 - 2015

Question 31

Academies and the conservative government

Answer 31

schools encouraged to leave local authority control + become academies. funding taken from local authority to government - given control over their own curriculum

by 2017 68% schools become a academy

Question 32

how do free schools increase educational standards

Answer 32

take control away from state + give power to parents
parents are given opportunity to create new school if unhappy with state schools in their local areas

Question 33

why may free schools not help inequalities according to this sociologists findings

Answer 33

in sweden where 20% of schools are free schools they only benefit children from highly educated families

only selective to those of advantaged families Bristol free school only had 6,4% having FSM compared to 22.5% of pupils over city (DoE 2012)

Question 34

what is fragmented centralisation according to this sociologist

Answer 34

Ball
promoting academies + free schools lead to fragmentisation of + centralisation

framgentisation - comprehensive system replaced by patchwork of diverse provision, leads to greater inequality

centralisation of control - central government alone has the power to allow/ require schools to be set up

Question 35

what are some policies that the conservative government introduced that decreased inequality

Answer 35

free school meals - for reception year 1 +2

pupil premium - money school receives from each disadvantaged pupil

Question 36

what is a criticism of pupil premium according to Ofsted

Answer 36

Ofsted 2012
pupil premium not spent on purpose
only 1 in 10 teachers thought that it helped

Question 37

what did the conservative government do that decreased the benefits of previous governments

Answer 37

EMA abolished, higher education fees tripled to 9,000, 60% Sure Start closed down

Question 38

what is the cola - isation of schools

Answer 38

private sector penetrating education indirectly through vending machines + brand loyalty through logos + sponsorships

Question 39

since the 1970s what policies have been introduced to help girls achievement

Answer 39

GIST + WISE

Question 40

what are assimilation policies

Answer 40

1960’s +70’s focused on needs of minority ethnic groups to assimilate into mainstream culture as a way of increasing achievement

Question 41

what are multicultural education policies

Answer 41

through 1980’s + 90’s aimed to promote achievements of pupils from minority ethnic groups by valuing all cultures

Question 42

why has multicultural education policies been criticised

Answer 42

Stone argues that black pupils do not fail from lack of self - esteem so MCE is misguided

critical race theorists argue MCE is tokenism, it picks stereotypical features of cultures for inclusion in the curriculum

new right criticise for perpetuating cultural divisions . education system should have 1 mainstream culture