Policy Flashcards
What is an educational policy
Gov strategies introduced through legal changes
Until 19th century education only provided by church and privately
Industrialisation created need education workforce, led development compulsory state education
2 stages of the development of state education
Tripartite System - 1944
Comprehensive System - 1965
What year was the Tripartite System introduced
1944
What year was the Comprehensive System introduced
1965
What is the Tripartite System
2 main types secondary school Grammar schools: selection 11+ passed m.c. Had academic curriculum Secondary Modern Schools: practical skills curriculum, all same legitimated test resultant class inequality
What is the Comprehensive System
Abolished 11+
All pupils attended same local comprehensive schools, however still 164 grammar schools in England, conservatives have plans to bring them back
What do functionalists say about the comprehensive system
Meritocratic, gives pupils longer to develop as not selecting at 11
Promotes integration bringing all social classes together
Evaluation point of functionalist view of comprehensive system
Evidence of little mixing between social classes in comprehensive schools
What do Marxists say about the Comprehensive System
Reproduces inequality through streaming and labelling
Legitimates inequality through myth of meritocracy, making it look like everyone has an equal opportunity
What are marketisation policies
Introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition into areas run by state, creating education market
Since 1988 Education Reform Act
Examples of marketisation policies
League tables, open enrolment, formula funding, opting out the LEA contract, free schools, academies, business sponsorship
Parentocracy
What policies reproduce inequality
League tables
Funding formula
Parental choice
How do league tables reproduce inequality
Schools with good results can ‘cream skim’ best mainly m.c pupils
Less successful schools end up with less able pupils ‘silt shifting’
How does Formula Funding reproduce inequality
Schools funded on how many pupils they recruit, good schools get more money, can improve staffing/facilities and attract more pupils
How does Parental Choice reproduce inequality
Gewirtz
M.c privileged skilled chooser with economic and cultural capital to take advantage of system
W.c disconnected local choosers who lack capital and have to settle for nearest school
Ambitious w.c semi-skilled choosers frustrated by inability get school they wanted
What policy legitimises inequality
Myth of parentocracy
How does myth of parentocracy legitimate inequality
Makes it look like parents are equally free to choose a good school
When were New Labour policies introduced
1997-2010
What was the aim of New Labour Policies 1997-2010
Maintained marketisation policies to reduce inequality
Examples of New Labour policies
City academies Education Action Zones Aim Higher Programmes Education Maintenance Allowance for poorer 16-18 year olds Increased spending on state education
Evaluation of new labour
How can competition work without producing inequality - all markets produce winners and losers
Policies contradictory EMA helps individuals stay on in education but now have to pay uni fees
Left private education untouched
Choice and diversity are nice ways of saying inequality - education market ensures w.c. remain disadvantaged
More spending and focus on ‘learning environment’ there have been genuine improvements - evidence academies have raised standards is mixed
When were Conservative policies introduced
2010+
What was the purpose of Conservative Policies 2010+
Accelerated move away from comprehensive system run by local authorities
Strongly influenced by neoliberal ideas
Reducing role of state through marketisation/privatisation
Outline Neoliberalism/Conservatism and Privatisation
Opposite to internal market in 1988 Act
State ceases be provider education, instead commissions private companies provide services
In what ways do Conservatives/Neoliberalists reduce role of the state
Academies
Free schools
Fragmented Centralisation
Spending Cuts
How does Conservatives/Neoliberalists introducing Academies reduce states role
All schools encouraged to be academies, funded by central gov
Some part privately owned chains
Removing from local authority means loss of democratic accountability
How does Conservatives/Neoliberalists introducing Free Schools reduce states role
State funded but set up and run by teachers, parents, religious groups or businesses
How does Conservatives/Neoliberalists introducing Fragmented Centralisation reduce states role
Ball - now have fragmented patchwork instead of comprehensive system, leading greater inequality
Education more centralised - gov can require schools to become academies and allow free schools to be set up
How does Conservatives/Neoliberalists introducing Spending cuts reduce states role
E.g. On Sure Start, school building, EMA, increases university fees. Some cases cuts have been cancelled out Premium schools receive for disadvantaged pupils
What are the ways conservatives/neoliberalists have privatised education
Privatised commodity
Blurring public/private boundary
Globalisation of policy
Cola-isation of schools
How has conservative/neoliberal policies created privatised commodity of education
Ball - ceases to be a public good. Turned into commodity owned private companies, bought and sold in education market. Source profit for capitalists including school building, Ofsted, supply teachers, running entire local education authorities
Hall ‘long march of the neoliberal revolution’
How has conservative/neoliberal policies created blurring of the private/public boundary of education
Many senior sector employees, such as senior civil servants and headteachers move into private sector education business, brining ‘insider knowledge’ to help win contracts
How has conservative/neoliberal policies created globalisation of education
Many education companies foreign owned
Some UK education businesses work overseas, privatising and exporting UK education policy for sale abroad. Nation states becoming less important in policy-making, which is becoming globalised
How has conservative/neoliberal policies created cola-isation of schools of education
Private sector sells to pupils through vending machines in schools, develops brand loyalty through logos, sponsorships and voucher schemes. However, benefits to schools often limited
What are the 3 stages ethnicity and policy
1960s-70s
1980s-90s
Most recently 00s
What was the 1960-70 ethnicity and policy aim
Aim encourage assimilation e.g. Through English as a second language programmes
What was the 1980s-90s ethnicity and policy aim
Aim valuing all cultures through multi-cultural education policies e.g. Black studies in mainstream curriculum
What was the most recent ethnicity and policy aim
Social inclusion
E.g. Legal duty on schools promote racial inequality
EV: mirza criticises more recent policies, for being too limited in scope
