Government and Education Flashcards
What were the aims of the New Labour gov between 1997-2010?
- Focus was to reduce inequality
- Provide an education system that gave everyone an equal chance of success
- Compensatory policies to help disadvantaged pupils
What were the 7 educational policies New Labour implemented?
- Education Action Zone (EAZ)
- Aim Higher
- National Literacy Challenge
- City Academies
- Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
- Sure Start
- Specialist Schools
What was EAZ?
AO1
- Inner city schools in deprived areas received extra funding for resources
- Aimed to help close the gap by providing schools with resources they need
What was Aim Higher?
AO1
Aimed to raise the higher aspirations for those underepresented within education
What was the National Literacy Challenge?
AO1
- Set literacy and numeracy hours introduced in primary schools
- Reduced max class size to 30 for 5-7 year olds
How can we analyse National Literacy Challenge?
AO3
Mainly benefits boys as they are the people who typically underperform in reading tasks
What are city academies?
AO1
- Introduced in 2000
- Schools that are state schools but are independent of LEA and receive funding directly from gov
- Also have private sponsors
How can we analyse city academies?
AO3
Mossbourne Academy was once a failing school but after becoming a city academy they became outstanding. Thus relevant as city academies are rising in number and success
What is EMA?
AO1
- Educational Maintanence Allowance introduced to encourage disadvantaged pupils to stay in school post 16
- £30 a week as long as they went to all lessons
How can we analyse EMA?
AO3
Not relevant today as staying in education until 18 is now compulsory
How can we evaluate EMA?
AO3
PRO: Benefits WC as they are able to pay for travel and equipment
CON: Only avaliable to those over 16 years old
What is Sure Start?
AO1
Compensatory education policy - preschool children could receive early support and intervention. They provided:
- family support e.g. access to specialist parenting advice and language therapy
- post natal support
- information and guidance on breastfeeding
- healthcare and nutrition guidance e.g. help stop smoking
What are specialist schools?
AO1
- Focus on a chosen subject area
- Private funding from sponsors and additional funding from gov
- Were allowed to choose 10% of pupils based on aptitude in chosen subject area
- This aimed to improve standards
How can we analyse specialist schools?
AO3
In line with New Right Theory of marketisation and raising standards through being selective and privatised
How does Benn evaluate the New Labour policies?
AO3
- New Labour Policies were contradictory - ‘New Labours Paradox’
- Aimed to reduce inequality through policies like EAZ but also raised inequality by increasing tuition fees - fee pay schools are the ones MC parents opt for