Role and Purpose Of Education

Question 1

Outline the role and purpose of Education (Marxists)

Answer 1

The Economic Base: the capitalists own means of production and control all 7 institutions in society ranging from education to the political system

• Marx believed education keeps people in a false class consciousness
• Althusser - The ISA is “a tool to justify social inequality”
  The ISA works by using Hegemony and Transmitting Ideology

Bowles + Gintis:
Correspondence principal - “school mirrors the world of work” by:
- timetable , Uniform , deadlines

Cultural Capital: Bordeaux
m/c pupils have an advantage in education as they have the culture and the money

Question 2

Outline the Role and Purpose of Functionalism

Answer 2

Durkheim: Eduction is to:
Create Social Solidarity
Teach Specialist Skills

Davis + Moore: Sifting and Sorting
Education is the proving ground for ability, this is why some people become psychologists and other become social services

Parsons Bridge Model
Education is a bridge between family and society
- Particularistic Standards:
Status is ascribed
- Universalistic Standards:
Status is achieved

Question 3

Outline the Role and Purpose of Interactionism

Answer 3

Labelling Theory - Becker
When children are given labels they conform to them: (SFP)
Pos Label = “ideal pupil”
Neg Label = “lazy”

Dunne + Gazeley:
w/c underachievement is normalised
m/c underachievement can-be over came
- this is because labelling w/c parents as uninterested

Rosthenhal and Jacobson:
They told a school: 20 students were expected to succeed:
They Found:
- Teachers treated 20 students differently in the way they spoke and tasks given
- Coincidentally the 20 selected gig higher scores on an IQ test

Mac and Ghail:
There are distinct working class male peer groups developing as a result of banding
People who succeeded in education were labelled by these labs as “Dickhead Achievers”

Ball - Banding
Banding was set by fathers profession

Willis - the lads
Formed a counter school subculture

Lacey - Subcultures
Pro and Anti based on labels

Archer - Habitus

Question 4

Outline the Marketisation of Education
(Topic 4, Social Policy In Education)
(Conservative Perspective XXXX-1997)

Answer 4

Early policy on education was influenced by the 11+ which as a m/c bias based on fake research

1979 - 1997 Conservative Government
New Right - state run services are inefficient
Companies should compete for education as in a business, this provides schools with an incentive to improve and be the best 
TNR focuses on the THREE Cs

Conservative Educational Policies:
National Curriculum - 
SATS -
Exam League Tables -
Formula Funding -

Gerwitz - m/c parents are skilled choosers, meaning they can get into catchment areas
- w/c parents are local choosers and go with whoever they can get

Bartlett - Cream Skimming and Silt Shifting

Question 5

Outline the Marketisation of Education
(1997 - 2010 New Labour Government)

Answer 5

Combined elements of Social Equality, Equality of Opportunity with a marketisation approach (TNR)

New Labour Policies:
(How do they fit into three Cs?)
Aim Higher
EMA - payment made to college students
Student Loans
EAZ - Educational Action Zones

Critical Eval:
Tomlinson - These polices reintroduce selection by specialist schools

OFFS 2012 report shows that ???

Question 6

Outline the Marketisation of Education
(2010-2015 Coalition Government)

Answer 6

Micheal Gove (Tory) took the largest reform of the education system since 1944. e.g: introduced a new grading system)

Coalition Policies:
(Are these marketisation or equality?)
Autonomy - Free Schools
Autonomy - Academies
Funding - National Formula Funding
Funding - Post 16 Funding Cuts
Curriculum - New National Curriculem
Curriculum - Linear GCSEs
Vocational - Apprenticeships

Question 7

Outline the Marketisation of Education
(2015-2022 Conservative Government)

Answer 7

The Conservative Government contained most of these policies…
They developed T Levels which promote marketisation as mostly took on by w/c

Marxists argue reforms will always advantage the m/c only

Partners in Excellence (PiXL) argue schools in disadvantaged areas will be affected by changes to GCSEs

Question 8

Globalisation Of Education

Answer 8

Education has been influenced by Globalisation due to:
- more international students
- Increase in Technology
But how?
- Trade - resources
- Tech - Microsoft Teams
- Transport - international students

Postmodernist: Globalisation is giving us more choice
- diversity is becoming more recognised

Globalisation has led to increased global competition such as:
- League Tables

Question 9

How is the Privatisation Of Education done? (Exo / endo)

Answer 9

Ball - two types of privatisation:
- Exogenous - opening up state education to private businesses (OUT EDUCATION)
- Endogenous - schools operate like private businesses (IN EDUCATION)

E.Gs:
- Endo:
Consumer Choice
Competition between schools

• Exo
  Branding of schools
  Private exam boards e.g AQA