Government educational policies effective in reducing social class inequalities in education Flashcards
P1: What was the aim of compensatory education policies?
To reduce class inequalities by addressing material/cultural deprivation among working-class students.
How did these policies work?
Provided extra resources (e.g., funding, early intervention) to help disadvantaged students “catch up.”
Give two examples of compensatory policies.
Sure Start (early years support) and EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance for post-16 students).
How does Basil Bernstein’s speech codes theory link to these policies?
Sure Start exposed working-class children to elaborated codes (used in schools), countering cultural deprivation.
Were these policies fully effective?
No—EMA was scrapped (2010), and without tackling structural poverty, their impact was limited.
P2: Did marketisation reduce class inequalities?
No—it often increased them by advantaging middle-class families.
How did marketisation create inequality?
Competition (e.g., league tables) rewarded schools with middle-class pupils, who were seen as “easier to teach.”
What processes did Stephen Ball identify?
Cream-skimming (selecting high-achievers) and silt-shifting (offloading struggling pupils).
Why are middle-class parents “skilled choosers”?
They use cultural capital (e.g., knowledge of applications) to secure spots in better schools.
Overall impact of marketisation?
Widened inequality—working-class pupils were left in underfunded schools, making policies ineffective.
P3: Have recent policies been more successful?
Mixed results—some progress, but deep inequalities persist.
How does the Pupil Premium aim to help?
Targets funding at disadvantaged students (e.g., those eligible for free school meals).
What did Ofsted find about the Pupil Premium?
In many schools, funding wasn’t spent effectively on those who needed it most
What does Diane Reay argue about cultural capital?
Middle-class dominance in education continues because funding alone can’t override class advantages.
Why are recent policies still limited?
Academies operate like businesses, and structural issues (e.g., poverty) aren’t fully addressed.
