Neoliberalism and The New Right

Question 1

Key Ideas about Education

Answer 1

• Created an ‘education market’ - Schools were run like businesses – competing with each other for pupils and parents were given the choice over which school = league tables.
• The state provides a framework in order to ensure schools teach the same thing - National Curriculum.
• Schools should teach subjects that prepare pupils for work: New Vocationalism!
•Chubb and Moe - US state education

Question 2

Supporting Evidence

Answer 2

• Their policies seem to have raised standards.
• Their policies have been applied internationally (PISA league tables).
• Asian Countries with very competitive education systems tend to top the league tables (e.g. China).

Question 3

Criticisms/ Limitations

Answer 3

• Competition between schools benefited the middle classes and lower classes, ethnic minorities and rural communities ended up having less effective choice.
• Vocational Education was also often poor.
• There is a contradiction between wanting schools to be free to compete and imposing a national framework that restricts schools.
• The National Curriculum has been criticised for being ethnocentric and too restrictive on teachers and schools.