New Right

Question 1

Neoliberalism

What do the New Right think about society in general?

Answer 1

there should be minimal government intervention and more privatisation of businesses

Question 2

Neoliberalism

what do the New Right think about education?

Answer 2

they think that the eduaction system is unfit and believe in ‘parentocracy’ where parents should have a say in the education system

Question 3

Neoliberalism

what is Neoliberalism?

Answer 3

is an economic doctrine, in favour of private business and the free market which has influenced all governments (Labour and Conservatives) since 1979.

Question 4

Neoliberalism

What is the free market and what do they want?

Answer 4

refers to a system in which people are free to buy and sell what they wish - producers provide what consumers want or they will not be able to sell their products. Firms compete to attract customers, so the quality continually improves (in theory).

They want:
- low government intervention
- low taxation
- the privatisation of state-run businesses.

Question 5

Neoliberalism

What are Neoliberlists thoughts on eduacation?

Answer 5

Education plays an important role in building a successful economy. However, they argue that state education is inefficient and drains a country’s resources. High government spending on education requires high taxes which they do not like. These taxes ultimately come from company profits, and high taxation therefore makes companies less competitive.

Question 6

Neoliberalism

What are the similarities to functionalism?

Answer 6

• the belief that some are naturally more talented than others
• the belief that education should be meritocratic and based on competition
• the belief that education prepares students for work (in a good way)

Question 7

Neoliberalism

What are the differences to functionalism?

Answer 7

The main difference between the two is that whilst Functionalists believe the education system is effective and performs key functions, the New Right do not believe it is currently able to perform these roles. They believe that this is because it is run by the state.

Question 8

One size fits all - Chubb & Moe

what do Chubb & Moe argue?

Answer 8

• a state-run education system is essentially the same for everyone.
• The New Right believe that individuals and communities have a variety of different needs which a state-run education system cannot cater for.
• They argue that the education system is unresponsive to the needs of pupils and parents and tends to have low standards.
• In contrast, private education needs to please its customers to survive and therefore standards are high and there is constant pressure for them to improve further.

Question 9

National Curriculum

what is the national curriculum?

Answer 9

• The Education Reform Act of 1988 introduced a national curriculum into UK schools for the first time. - All pupils in state schools were taught the same topics at the same time in the same subjects.
• The national curriculum is flexible and not compulsory in free schools, academies, and some primary schools. It never applied to private schools.

Question 10

Shared values

what do the New Right argue about shared values within education?

Answer 10

• New Right sociologists agree that education should impart shared values but don’t think this can be done through the state.
• In the 1960s and 1970s, schools were dominated by local education authorities with values potentially divergent from the value consensus.
• The New Right worried that left-wing councils might influence history education, undermining patriotic values and shared goals.
• Giving parents control (parentocracy) ensures the value consensus is set by parents, not politicians.

Question 11

Shared values

what is parentocracy?

Answer 11

when parents have control over the education system and have a say in what their children are learning

Question 12

National identity

what do the New Right believe about national identity within education?

Answer 12

The New Right also believe that our schools should promote ‘Britishness’, and teach about positive elements of British history. They therefore also oppose multiculturalism within education, as it fails to promote out “single set of shared values and culture”

Question 13

British values

what are the british values?

Answer 13

• Democracy
• Rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of different faiths

Question 14

British values

How would the new right argue they help create a national identity?

Answer 14

Education should socialise pupils into shared norms and values. Competition creates and instills a sense of national identity. Helps to keep cohesion and morality

Question 15

British values

How does the prevent programme ensure that british value are upheld?

Answer 15

Teaches children to be respectful and to recognise those who help us and contribute positively to society. Ensures that values are taught in school and every child learns it

Question 16

British values

What is the prevent programme?

Answer 16

this is a programme to prevent students from becoming terrorists, as staff report students who are seen to hold extreme views or beliefs

Question 17

British values

how does the history curriculum support the creation of a national identity?

Answer 17

it changes national identity as it teaches the students about the monarch’s of britain, the views and beliefs of them. This is done to reiterate out values and remind us of it

Question 17

Evidence of the effectiveness of the voucher system in India

how effective is the voucher system in India?

Answer 17

• improved test scores
• improved english proficiency
• cost effective
• did not disadvantage public school students

Question 18

Globalisation

what are the new rights beliefs of globalisation?

Answer 18

• They argue that rising standards are essential due to globalisation. If countries are going to compete in an increasingly global economy, workers lacking high levels of skills will lose their jobs to more skilled workers in other countries.
• Globalisation involves all parts of the world becoming increasingly interconnected, resulting in British private schools and universities competing with countries around the world (including the USA, Europe and China) to attract pupils or students.

Question 18

New vocationalism

Who introduced vocational qualifications and why?

Answer 18

In 1976, James Callaghan argued that the education system needed to focus on practical skills for the modern economy as many jobs required practical and technical knowledge. This led to the introduction of vocational qualifications like GNVQs and BTECs in the 1980s.

Question 18

Example -Texas school choice movement

why would the New right support this movement?

Answer 18

• grants $10.5k per student
• they believe that education should be meritocratic

Question 18

Meritocracy

what does the New Right believe about meritocracy within eduaction? (use evidence from a theorist - Saunders)

Answer 18

• Saunders (1996) claims that middle class educational success is ‘deserved’ because middle class children inherit a genetic predisposition to be more intelligent than their working class peers.
• The education system should encourage these students to develop their potential, rather than trying to include the weakest students.
• Meritocracy is necessary to ensure that the most talented individuals take the most difficult jobs.

Question 19

Solution - Marketiation

what is the New Rights solution? (use chubb and moe for evidence)

Answer 19

They believe that education should be meritocratic and to achieve that:
- Education needs to be more competitive, more about choice and winning and losing and less about collaboration and fairness. E.g. no participation prizes.
- there should be competition within schools (exams, sports etc.)
- competition between schools (1988 Education Reform Act - League tables, Ofsted)
- socialising pupils with the skills and values to prosper in a market economy (New Vocationalism)
- Consumers having power (parentocracy and vouchers for private schools)

Evidence:
- Chubb and Moe specifically believe that each family should be given a voucher per students which they ‘spend’ with which ever private school they would like.

Question 19

Evidence of the effectiveness of the voucher system in India

what evidence is there to suggest it is successful?

Answer 19

• test scores were 0.13 standard deviations higher in all subjects
• could provide girls with quality education focusing on english proficiency
• able to achieve good grades at a lower cost

Question 19

Example -Texas school choice movement

why did parents support the school choice movement?

Answer 19

• cheaper for them to send their children to public shool thats under the government
• cheaper taxation
• the parents have more control
• the parents have more choice

Question 20

Evidence of the effectiveness of the voucher system in India

have there been any negative impacts?

Answer 20

• tuition costs increased
• the design of the system can lead to misallocation of voucher seats
• they benefit the wealthy as vouchers are mostly funded to students who are already attending private schools

Question 21

Evaluation

what is the evaluation of the new rights arguements?

Answer 21

1. Gerwitz and Ball believe that marketisation only benefits the middle class, as they are the ones with the material and cultural resources to receive the benefits.
2. The New Right contradict themselves by favouring parent choice in deciding education but want the state to demand a national curriculum.
3. The New Right ignore what others believe to be the ‘real’ cause of low educational results. E.g. not lack of accountability of schools, but pupils in poverty.
4. Focuses on the students with higher ability but requires most students to fail for this to work