Paper 1 - Educational Policies Flashcards
What does educational policy refer to?
The plans, strategies, instructions, and recommendations for education introduced by government
Educational Policy in Britain before 1990
- only provided by churches, private tutors and schools
- industrialisation needed an educated and trained workforce
- in 1880, compulsory state run education was introduced and where a child went was mainly dependant on social class and did little to change it
Explain the Tripartite System 1944
- aim was improve equality of opportunity through (meritocracy)
- The Butler Act 1944 introduced free secondary schools (to 15)
- children were sifted and sorted into one of three schools based on ability shown in the 11+ exam all children took at 11 y/o
- if you passed you want to Grammar Schools which were academic and offered non-manual jobs and higher education
- if you failed you went to technical or secondary moderns which were non-academic and offered manual jobs
What does meritocratic mean?
Students should be rewarded on the basis of their ability
Evaluate the Tripartite System
- Failed to promote meritocracy and reproduced social class inequalities and prevented social mobility
- two different types of schools that offered unequal opportunities
- MC were more likely to pass 11+ because of language, parental attitude and economic advantage of parents
- Ability is fixed at birth ideology legitimized social class inequality
- Girls had to gain higher marks to pass
Explain the Comprehensive System 1965
- installed by Labour GOV aiming for social equality
- abolished 11+ for more meritocracy
- all pupils went to same local comprehensive school which was all-ability
Evaluate Comprehensive System 1965
- parents had little choice due to catchment zones
- did not have an adequate social mix of children
- private school existed
- same areas did not go comprehensive so the grammar and secondary modern divide still existed
- Hargreaves and Ball argued that it was unequal as w/c children were more likely to be in bottom sets
What was the functionalist view on the role of comprehensives? And how was this criticized?
Functionalists would argue that mixing children of different social classes would increase social solidarity
However, Ford (1969) found that there was little mixing due to streaming students according to ability
What other view does functionalists have on education?
How is this criticised by marxists?
- comprehensive
Functionalists would also argue that comprehensives are more meritocratic (as it gives pupils more time to show their ability rather than just selecting at age 11)
However, Marxists would argue that the comprehensive system does not challenge streaming and labelling- thus it denies working class students equal opportunities and reaffirms the ‘myth of meritocracy’
Explain New Vocationalism 1979
- introduced by New Right
- youth unemployment was thought to be caused by pupils not being taught right skills
- NV sought to produce practical/technical skills
- it was an alternative to academic education, preparing students to work in a particular industry
Evaluate New Vocationalism 1979
- mainly taken by WC to get WC jobs so it brought back two-tier system
- Some WC pupils got removed from academic classes
- Not viewed as highly as academic qualifications
Explain Marketisation 1988
- introduced by New Right (Margret Thatcher)
- 1988 Education Reform Act created policies such as published league tables; Ofsted inspections; National Curriculum; Formula Funding’ and Opting out Lea Control etc
What was the aim of the Marketization?
- consumer choice and competition between schools for GOV funding
- aim to reduce direct state control over education
- successful schools will thrive whilst failing schools will go out of business
Evaluate Marketisation 1998
- league tables enable ‘good’ schools to ‘cream skim’ the best (m/c) pupils (entry exams/requirements)
- GEWIRTZ study found parentocracy is a myth as parental power is not equally distributed, m/c have more power as they have economic, social and cultural capital
- formula funding means student opportunities and experience is different
- Public Policy Research (2012) found education systems based on competition produces segregation of different social backgrounds
Explain New Labour Policies 1997 (-2010)
continue marketisation
- CITY ACADEMIES were former comps with poor results who were given funding boosts to improve/compete, they were state funded, could choose curriculum etc
ensure equality of opportunity
- SURE START CENTRES, offered variety of services to support learning, providing free childcare/early years education
- EMA, helped with post-16 education, paying students £30/week to cover barriers
- AIMHIGHER, targeted under-represented groups in higher education by promoting opportunities after UNI
- GIFTED AND TALENTED, identified top 5% students in inner city high schools giving them extra study support
