Educational Policy and inequality

Question 1

Describe the main features of the tripartite system

Answer 1

In 1944
Children were allowed to be selected and allocated to one of three different types of secondary schools:
•state school
•independent schools
•grammar schools (students are assessed by the 11+)

Question 2

Describe the main features of the comprehensive school system

Answer 2

In 1965
It aimed to overcome the class division of the tripartite system and abolish it. However local education authorities refused  *hints why there are still grammar school in some areas

Question 3

What is the Marxist view of the role of comprehensive schools?

Answer 3

• serves the interests of capitalism
• are NOT meritocratic ~ reproduce inequalities
• inequalities through streaming and labelling

Question 4

What is the Functionalist view of the role of comprehensive schools?

Answer 4

• social integration ~ bringing children from different social classes together in one school
• meritocracy ~ everyone, regardless of background has the ability to achieve high

Question 5

Define marketisation

Answer 5

The process of introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition between schools

Question 6

Which sociological perspective favour marketisation?

Answer 6

Neoliberalism and New right

Question 7

What is parentocracy?

Answer 7

Refers to the idea that parents are in charge of the education system

Question 8

Define Cream- skimming

Answer 8

Schools that are more selective in choosing their own customers and recruit high achievers ~ middle class

Question 9

Define Silt-shifting

Answer 9

Schools that avoid less able students, so they do not damage the schools league tables position

Question 10

How do league tables enable ‘Cream-skimming’ and ‘Silt-shifting’ to take place?

Answer 10

League tables ensure schools that achieve good results are more in demand, by publishing the schools exam results

Question 11

What is the funding formula?

Answer 11

Schools are allocated funds by a formula based on how many pupils they attract

Question 12

How does the funding formula creat inequalities?

Answer 12

More popular schools tend to have higher achievement and more qualified teachers compared (middle class), therefore acquiring more funds than unpopular schools

Question 13

What are the three characteristics of parental choice according to Gewirtz?

Answer 13

• Privileged skilled choosers
• disconnected-local chooser
• semi-skilled chooser

Question 14

What is a Privileged skilled chooser?

Answer 14

Professional middle class parents who used their economic and cultural capital to gain education capital for their children

Question 15

What is a Disconnected-local chooser?

Answer 15

Working class parent whose choices were restricted by their lack of economic and cultural capital

Question 16

What are semi-skilled choosers ?

Answer 16

Working class parents who are ambitious for their child’s education and rely on the opinions of others. ~ to make up for the lack of cultural capital

Question 17

Explain why Ball argues that parentocracy is a myth

Answer 17

Ball believes that marketisation gives the appearance that all parents having the freedom to pick schools. IN REALITY middle class parents are better able to take advantage of the choices available

Question 18

List the New Labour policies aimed at reducing inequality

Answer 18

• Education Maintenon Allowance
• Introduction of the National Literacy strategy
• Increase funding for state school

Question 19

What is the ‘New Labour paradox’?

Answer 19

The contradiction between labour policies to tackle inequality and its commitment to marketisation

Question 20

Outline Academies

Answer 20

Funding was taken from local authority budget and given directly to academies by central government and academies were given control over their curriculum

Question 21

Outline free schools policies

Answer 21

Free schools claim that they improved educational standby taking control away from the state and giving power to parents

Question 22

Define fragmentation

Answer 22

A patchwork of diverse provision that lead to greater inequality in opportunities

Question 23

Define Centralisation

Answer 23

State schools are directly funded by central government.

Question 24

What criticism has been made of the pupil premium

Answer 24

Ofsted found that in many case the pupil premium is not spent on those it is supposed to help

Question 25

What caolition policies may have reduced opportunities for working class pupils

Answer 25

‘Sure start’ and ‘EMA’ has reduced opportunities for working class pupils 
*increasing university fees may discourage W/c pupils

Question 26

What are the four aspects of privatisation

Answer 26

1. Blurring the public/private boundary
2. Privatisation and the globalisation of education policy
3. The cola-isation of schools
4. Education as a commodity

Question 27

What are the two types of marketisation

Answer 27

• internal market within the state education system

* privatisation of education

Question 28

What policy relates to gender differences in education

Answer 28

GIST ~ reduces gender differences in subject choice