New Right views of Education

Question 1

What is the NEW RIGHT perspective of EDUCATION?

Answer 1

New Right sociologists believe that the current education system is failing because it is controlled by the state.
They argue that in order to improve education each school should be run like a business, and parents should have a choice in the school they send their children to. This is known as marketisation where market forces of supply and demand, based on competition and consumer choice are introduced into the education system.
For example, schools act like businesses using marketing strategies to attract new parents and students

The New Right want to encourage parentocracy, the idea that it is the parents who make decisions and choices in the education system

Question 2

What does marketisation do?

Answer 2

Marketisation creates competition between schools for new parents and students (think back to when you were choosing a secondary school… schools run open days, taster sessions, hand out prospectuses etc. to try and persuade you to choose them). New Right sociologists believe that this competition will raise standards because only the best schools with excellent exam results will attract new parents and students

Question 3

What’s privatization?

Answer 3

taking state-funded education out of state control and into the hands of private companies

Question 4

What are some A03 POVS of these views?

Answer 4

• Marketisation has turned schools into ‘exam factories’. All of the focus is on grades, which has a negative impact on students’ educational experiences and wellbeing. In recent years, increasing numbers of students have been suffering from mental health concerns like anxiety and depression.
• Marketisation has led to an A-C Economy (schools are judged on the number of A-C grades achieved). Gillborn and Youdell argue that students who have no chance of achieving a C or above (4 or above) are labelled as ‘hopeless cases’ and given little or no support because their grades won’t contribute to the image of the school. These students tend to be from deprived, working class backgrounds, limiting their opportunities.

Question 5

What are some A03 POVS of these views? (Marxism)

Answer 5

• Marxists argue that parentocracy is a myth – only middle class parents have greater choice because they have educational capital. This means they know how schools work e.g. what questions to ask on open evenings and what to look for in a good school.