Educational Policy And Inequality Flashcards
What was the educational policy in Britain before the industrial revolution?
The state provided no state schools. Industrialisation increased the need for an educated workforce
What happened to education after industrialisation ?
From the 19th century the state became more involved in education. They made education compulsory from the ages of 5 to 13. During this time the type of education depended on the child’s class background. School did little to change their ascribed status. Middle class students received the curriculum to prepare them for office work. Whereas the working class received a curriculum to equip them for basic literacy and numeracy skills to prepare them for labour work.
What was the tripartite system’s effect on education ?
From 1994, education begun to take an influence from meritocracy. The 1994 education act brought in the tripartite system, it was called this because children were to be selected and allocated to on of three different secondary schools according to their attitudes and abilities : specialist schools, secondary modern schools + grammar. These were identified by the 11+ exam.
What were the problems with the tripartite system ?
Rather than promoting meritocracy the 11+ reproduced inequality as it divided two different class types in different schools. Teachers went to grammar schools because of better behaviour. It also reproduced gender inequality due to boys being more likely to get into grammar schools and girls more likely not to get into them due to requiring higher marks than boys.
What was the comprehensive school’s effect on education ?
1965 onwards the 11+ was abolished due to class divide + comprehensive schools replaced it. This is where all children living in the area will attend that specific school. By not selecting them at the age of 11 provides more equal chances.
What were the two views of comprehensive schools ?
Functionalists argue that they promote social integration by bringing children with different social classes together. They also believe it is more meritocratic as it gives more time for children to develop. ( Ford said they weren’t integrated because of streaming)
However, Marxists argue they aren’t meritocratic. They produce class inequality through one generation to the next through streaming + labelling.
What was marketisation and its effects on education ?
Refers to the process of introducing market forces of consumer choices and competition between suppliers in the area run by the state , such as education. Marketisation has created an education market by : reducing direct state control over education + increasing both competition between schools and parental choice of school.
What has parentocracy influenced on education ?
Policies to promote marketisation include :
Publication of league tables and Ofsted reports , business sponsorship for schools , open enrolment , specialist schools , formula funding , schools having to compete for pupils + intuition fees introduced for private education
What does Miriam David state about marketisation ?
She described marketised education as a parentocracy. Supporters of marketisation argue hat it shifts away the power from the producers to the consumers. They say it encourages diversity among schools.
What are the criticisms of marketisation ?
They state it has increased inequality. Bal and Whitty noted that policies like Ofsted and league tables reproduced class inequalities between schools.
What is cream skimming ?
Cream-skimming = good schools can be more selective with who they select so can choose more high achieving, middle class students. As a result these pupils get the advantage
Silt-shifting = good schools can avoid taking less able students that could affect their Ofsted reports or league table rank
What is New Labour’s view on education ?
Designating deprived areas as education zones + providing them with additional resources. The aim higher programmes to raise aspirations of groups who are under-represented in higher education. Education maintenance allowances : payments to students from low-income backgrounds to encourage them to stay on after finishing education after 16. Introduction of the national literacy strategy reducing class sizes in primary. Increased funding for state education. City academies were created o give a fresh start to struggling inner city schools.
What are conservative government policies from 2010 ?
The conservative led coalition government accelerated away from comprehensives system ran by local authorities. Its ideas heavily influenced by the NR. David Cameron notated the aim of coalitions education policy was to encourage excellence, competition and innovation. Furthermore, cuts were made to funding for state schools.
What were the conservatives policies ?
Academies - all schools were encouraged to leave local authority and become academies. Funding was taken from local authority budgets and given directly to academies by central government, and here given control over their curriculum. Reduced focus on inequality.
Free-schools - free schools are set up by parents , teachers and faith organisations rather than local authority. Supporters of free schools state that they improve educational standards by taking away control from the schools and authority and giving it to the parents.
