social policy Flashcards
1
Q
education policy before 1988
A
- before the late 18th and early 19th centuries there were no state schools
- education was only available to a minority of the population
- before 1833 the state spent no public money on education
- industrialisation increased the need for an educated workforce
- from the late 19th century the state became more involved with education
- in 1880 schooling was made compulsory between the ages 5-13
- MC was given academic curriculums whereas WC were given schooling for basic numeracy and literacy skills needed for factory work
2
Q
1994: the tripartite system
A
- education began to be influenced by the idea of meritocracy
- children in their final year of primary school had to take the 11+ exams
- pupils who passed were considered to have academic ability and were offered academic curriculums and to be taught in a grammar school
- pupils who failed were considered non-academic so offered a practical curriculum and sent to secondary modern schools
- pupils who failed but displayed artistic abilities were sometimes offered to go to secondary technical schools
- the tripartite system widened the gap of inequality between social groups in education
3
Q
comprehensive school system
A
- introduced from 1965 onwards by labour
- aimed to overcome the class divide of the tripartite system and make education more meritocratic
- 11+ exams were abolished along with grammar and secondary modern schools (replaced with comprehensive schools)
- the system didnt exclude streaming and couldnt prevent labelling
4
Q
after 1988: marketisation
A
- turning schools into businesses that control their own budget, theyre in competition with each other to attract more pupils and generate more revenue
- changing the way schools are funded so a school was paid for each pupil, successful schools would have more money
- providing parents the information based on which they could compare performance between different schools via league tables and ofsted
- allowing private companies to part-finance state schools
- allowing parents, faith or community groups to set up free schools
5
Q
1988: education reform act
A
- introduced by conservative
- embraced neoliberal values and new right ideas about competition and choice as ways of raising educational standards
- schools have to attract customers by competing with each other in the market
6
Q
after 1988: the new right- marketisation and selection policies
A
- selection process, (in post war era) LEA were responsible for placing pupils in schools to ensure schools had a set number of pupils each
- over time, politicians allowed schools to opt out of LEA control so parents could have more choice in the selection of school for their child
- parents could use the following methods to access their preferred choice of school: selection by postcode, selection by ability, selection by aptitude, and selection by faith
7
Q
1997-2010: new labour education policies
A
- education action zones: designated deprived areas are provided with extra educational resources for poorer pupils
- EMA: provided poorer pupils the extra income to support them with studies, aim was to persuade pupils to stay in education longer
- national literacy and numeracy strategies: designating literacy and numeracy hours in schools to improve attainment of underachieving WC pupils
- reduced class sizes in primary schools: LEAs were set limit of primary class sizes less than 30 pupils to allow more teacher attention to individual pupils that need it
- raising school leaving age: ensures that all children stay in education longer to get rid of the emerging problem of NEET group who usually end up in long term unemployment
8
Q
2010-2015: coalition government policies
A
- all secondary schools were invited to apply for academy status
- parents, charity, and faith groups were encouraged to create “free schools”
- EMA was abolished and replaced by a bursary for the poorest students
- universities increased tuition fees to £9000 per year and student loan arrangements changed
- increased class sizes to 31 to accommodate for the largest population growth since 50s
- introduction of “studio schools” which offer mixed academic and work based training
9
Q
expansion of academies
A
- coalition wanted all schools to have the chance to become academies, including primary schools and special schools, as part of an “education revolution”
- the government claimed that they aimed to raise standards for all children, narrow the attainment gap, and create a “world-beating system”
10
Q
introduction of free schools
A
- theyre set up by groups of parents, teachers, charities and trusts, religious, and voluntary groups
- theyre set up as academies and funded in the same way
- they can appoint their own governing body and can design their own curriculum without any real interference from the government
- free schools need to be set up in response to local demands so there must be a petition from parents in the area
