New Labour Policy Flashcards
New labour main aim
Since 1997 the Labour government aimed to create greater diversity and choice.
In 2002 Tony Blair argued that education needed to move into a ‘post comprehensive era’. The one size fits all approach run by bureaucrats needed to be replaced. There was to be a new approach meeting the needs of the individual child in the hands of the parents.
Academy schools
The introduction of academy schools was seen as a way to raise standards in mainly working class comprehensive schools.
Academies are independent, non-selective,
state-funded schools that fall outside the control of local authorities, and are managed by a private team of independent co-sponsors. The sponsors then delegate the management of the school to a largely self-appointed board of governors.
Criticisms
Benn (2012): there is a contradiction between Labours policies when tackling inequalities. For example, EMA was designed to encourage students to stay in education until 18. Whilst University tuition fees may deter them from going to university.
Failure to abolish either grammar or private schools. Labour also failed to remove grammar or private schools charitable status which prevents them paying.
HOWEVER: Paul Trowler argues that by increasing state funding for education, raising standards and increased focus on a ‘learning society’ Labour has showed a commitment to reducing inequality.
COALITION GOVERNMENT POLICIES SINCE 2010
They accelerated the move away from an education system based largely on comprehensive schools run by local authorities.
Policies have been influenced by:
marketisation and privatisation.
Prime Minister David Cameron stated…
the aim of the Coalition’s education policy was to encourage ‘excellence, competition and innovation’ by freeing schools from the ‘dead hand of the state’.
Academies
Academies were given control over their curriculum.
By 2012, over half of all secondary schools had converted to academy status.
Whereas Labour’s original city academies targeted disadvantaged schools/ areas, the Coalition government, by allowing any school to become an academy, removed the focus on reducing inequality.
Free schools
Funded directly by the state but set up and run by parents, teachers, faith organisations or businesses rather than the local authority.
Supporters of free schools claim they improve educational standards by taking control away from the state and giving it to parents.
Gives parents and teachers the opportunity to create a new school if they are unhappy with the state schools in their local area.
Fragmented centralisation
Ball (2011): promoting academies and free schools has led to both increased fragmentation and increased centralisation of control over educational provision in England
Fragmentation
The comprehensive system is being replaced by a patchwork of diverse provision, leading to greater inequality of opportunity.
Centralisation of control
Central government alone has the power to allow or require schools to become academies or free schools. Their rapid growth has greatly reduced the role of elected local authorities in education.
While the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition’s marketisation policies are said to have increased inequality, they also introduced policies aimed at reducing it.
Free school meals: For all children in reception, year 1 and year 2.
The Pupil Premium: Money that schools receive for each pupil from a disadvantaged background.
However pupil premium…
Ofsted (2012) The Pupil Premium is not spent on those it is supposed to help. Only 1 in 10 head teachers said that it had significantly changed how they supported pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds!
Furthermore, spending on school buildings was cut by 60%, many Sure Start centres were closed, EMA was abolished and university tuition fees tripled to £9,000 a year!
The privatisation of education
Privatisation involves the transfer of public assets such as schools to private companies.
education becomes a source of profit for capitalists in what Ball calls the ‘education services industry’ or ‘ESI’.
Blurring the public/private boundary
Many head teachers now leave to set up or work for private education businesses. These companies then bid for contracts to provide services to schools.
Pollack (2004): This flow of personnel allows companies to buy ‘insider knowledge’ to help win contracts.
PRIVATISATION AND THE GLOBALISATION OF EDUCATIONAL POLICY
Many private companies in the education services industry are foreign-owned. Edexcel is owned by US educational publishing giant Pearson, and according to Ball, some Pearson GCSE exam answers are now marked in Sydney and Iowa!
