Marketisation and Privatisation of Education Flashcards
What is the new right of education?
State schools are inefficient
Marketisation of education to run like a business
Competition between schools
Raising standards everywhere
Parental choice - parentocracy
What is marketisation of education?
Where schools should be run like a business and parents should have a choice in the school they send their children to
Why does marketisation create competition between schools?
Because only the best schools with excellent exam results will attract new parents and students for funding
Why should competition raise standards at all schools?
Because every school will work hard to improve teaching and exam results to appeal to new parents and students
Why does marketisation create parentocracy?
Because parents make a decision about which school to send their child to
Why do Marxists believe parentocracy is a myth?
Because only middle-class parents have greater choice because they have educational capital, which means they know how schools work
What is the educational reform act about?
Marketisation of schools
Parental choice
Formula funding - more pupils = more funding
League tables
Ofsted
Competition between schools
National curriculum
SATs
What does the educational reform act reflect the principles of?
Reflects the principles of the new right view of the marketisation of education because it reduces direct state control over education and increases competition between schools and parental choice of school
Why should parentocracy raise standards in schools?
Because all schools will be competing for new parents and students and only the best schools will attract new parents and pupils and therefore will gain more funding
Why do Marxists argue the marketisation of education reproduces inequality through league tables and cream skimming?
Because the most successful schools at the top of the league tables ‘cream-skim’ their students selecting middle class students who will achieve excellent exam results so they can stay at the top of the league table
What policies were introduced to reduce inequalities in education?
Educational maintenance allowance (EMA) 16-18 year olds
Education action zones
Aim higher
Raising school leaving age to 18
National literacy strategy
What policies were introduced to create an education market?
Creation of specialist schools
City academics
Why might the introduction of educational maintenance allowance reduce inequality in education?
It allows everyone the chance to continue their education as it funds people from the ages of 16-18 from low paying backgrounds
Why might aim higher reduce inequality in education?
Because it raises aspirations of groups who are under-represented in higher education and will encourage them to work hard to gain qualifications (working class)
Why might the creation of educational action zones reduce inequality?
It provides deprived areas with educational resources to help improve their educational success
Why did the introduction of university fees create social inequality?
The working class was less likely to be able to afford the fees and take out a loan whereas the middle class would so they would be able to continue their education to get better qualifications and therefore better jobs
Who were the coalition government?
Conservative majority and liberal democratic minority
What policies did the Coalition government introduce to create an education market?
Free schools
Converter academies
What policies did the Coalition government introduce to reduced inequality?
Free school meals up to year 2
Pupil premium - extra funding for pupils from low-income households
What are free schools?
A type of school that is free from control of the local authority and can be set up by anyone
Why did the creation of free schools give parents greater choice?
They continue a system of parentocracy and they are set up in response to the demands and wishes of parents and local people who are not happy with the current schools in their area
Why might free schools reproduce class inequality and support the Marxist view that parentocracy is a myth?
Free schools increase educational inequalities as they are full of white middle class students whose parents have all 4 types of capital and will demand a better education for their children
What is a converter academy?
A school that becomes independent from local authority control and are given more freedom and control over the running of their school and receive funding directly from the government and run much like a private business
Why do converter academies widen the education market?
They give parents another choice of school to send their children to
What is privatisation?
Services that were once owned and provided by the state are now transferred to private companies
What does the privatisation of education reflect?
Reflects a new right view that private companies can deliver services more efficiently than the state and this will raise standards everywhere in education
What aspects of education do private businesses deliver?
Teacher supply agencies
Exam boards
School transport
School meals
Provision and management of ICT software
Payroll and Human Resources
Management of schools by academy chains
Construction and management of new buildings, rented to the state for private profit
Why might privatised exam boards may reproduce social class inequalities?
The working class students suffer from material deprivation so they cannot afford remarks
Why might teacher supply agencies be seen as a business?
They charge schools around £180 per day for a supply teacher and are therefore profit making businesses
Why might privatised teacher supply agencies reproduce social class inequalities?
Many schools cannot afford the high fees of supply agencies and they therefore often employ cover supervisors who are usually unqualified
