Educational policy and inequality

Question 1

What did the 1944 Education Act bring in?

Answer 1

The tripartite system

Question 2

Explain what the tripartite system and each aspect

Answer 2

went to one of three secondary schools depending on aptitudes and abilities

1. Grammar schools - offered academic curriculum and access to non manual jobs and higher education. Middle class mainly
2. Secondary modern - non academic practical curriculum - mainly working class
3. Technical schools - work related trades eg mechanics, engineering

Question 3

When was the comprehensive system introduced and what did it aim to achieve

Answer 3

1965
Aimed to overcome class divide of tripartite system and make education more meritocratic - all pupils in an area would attend one school however left to local authority to decide

Question 4

Functionalist theory of comprehensives

Answer 4

promoted social integration by bringing children of different social classes together however found that there was little mixing because of streaming and labelling

Question 5

Marxist theory of comprehensives

Answer 5

not meritocratic - reproduce class inequality - deny working class children of equal opportunity

Question 6

When did Marketisation become central theme of government education policy and which government introduced it?

Answer 6

1988 Education Reform Act - introduced by conservative government of margaret thatcher

Question 7

What is parentocracy?

Answer 7

parents are in charge of choosing childrens schooling and marketisation policies make schools more attractive

Question 8

Name some policies that promoted marketisation

Answer 8

1. Publication of league tables and Ofsted
2. Specialist schools
3. Formula funding (schools receive same amount of funding for each pupil)
4. Tuition fees and higher education

Question 9

What is meant by the term “cream-skimming”

Answer 9

“good” schools can be more selective - choose their own customers and recruit high achieving mainly middle class pupils

Question 10

What is meant by the term “silt-shifting”

Answer 10

Good schools can avoid taking less able pupils who are likely to get poor results and damage the schools league table position

Question 11

What is the funding formula?

Answer 11

Schools are allocated funds by a formula based on how many pupils they attract. Popular schools get more funds so they can afford better qualified teacher and facilities - on the other hand less popular schools dont have the funding to provide this and therefore children in those schools are disadvantaged.

Question 12

Gerwitz - parental choice

“myth of parentocracy”

Answer 12

1. Privileged -skilled choosers - mainly professional middle class parents who used economic (can move house) and cultural capital( know how admissions work) capital to gain educational capital for children
2. Disconnected-local choosers - working class parents choices restricted by lack of economic and cultural capital - less able to manipulate system to advantage
3. Semi-skilled choosers - mainly w class but were ambitious for children. Lacked cultural capital so had to rely on other peoples opinions of schools

Question 13

Name and explain the 3 New Labour policies to reduce inequality

Answer 13

1. Education Action Zones - provided deprived areas with additional resources
2. Aim Higher - raise aspirations of groups who are under represented in higher education
3. Educational Maintenance Allowance - payments to students from low income backgrounds for educational resources to encourage them to stay in school past 16 and gain qualifications

Question 14

What did the labour government introduce in 2006 that deterred underprivileged students attending HE?

Answer 14

raised the tuition fees

Question 15

What change to school structure did Coalition government make in 2010?

Answer 15

Encouraged schools to leave local authority control and become academies - academies were given control over their curriculum

Question 16

What are free schools? - who set them up and when?

Answer 16

Funded directly by the state but set up and run by parents. teachers, organisations or businesses rather than local authority. Set up by Coalition government in 2010

Question 17

Allen - criticism of free schools

Answer 17

Research from Sweden shows free schools only benefit children from highly educated families. Schools can be incredibly selective and teach what they want to teach

Question 18

What does Ball argue has happened as a result of promoting academies and free schools?

Answer 18

Fragmentation and centralisation of control over educational provision in england

Question 19

What is meant by fragmentation?

Answer 19

the comprehensive system is being replaced by a patchwork of diverse provision - absence of connections between a society and the grouping of its members

Question 20

What is meant by centralisation of control?

Answer 20

Central government alone has the power to allow or require schools to become academies or allow free schools to be set up

Question 21

Name and explain the 2 policies introduced by Coalition government to help reduce inequality

Answer 21

1. Free school meals - all KS1 children
2. Pupil premium - money that schools receive for each pupil from a disadvantaged background

Question 22

Criticism of pupil premium

Answer 22

ofsted found that in many cases it wasnt being spent on those it was supposed to help

Question 23

What policies did Coalition government get rid of

Answer 23

sure start centres were closed and EMA was abolished
university fees tripled

Question 24

What is meant by the privatisation of education and give examples

Answer 24

transfer of public assets such as schools to private companies

exam boards charge schools for their papers, mark schemes ect

Question 25

What is the “cola-isation” of schools?

Answer 25

private sector penetrating education indirectly through vending machines on school premises