Social Policy Flashcards
1944 The Butler Education Act
> children treated equally- equality of opportunity
-THE TRIPARTITE SYSTEM
secondary education for all- selection of ability
grammar, technical, secondary modern
- meritocratic/ social mobility
X not many technical grammar schools
X MC could afford to pay for private tutoring in order to pass the 11plus exams
1965 Comprehensive Education
- all students attend same type of school
- no entrance exams- based on catchment area
X dominated by 1 class
X schools still setting and streaming#
HARGREAVES - ‘inequality is hidden under one roof’
1979 Vocational Education
- training for work
VE= completed in schools
VT= qualifications completed in workplace
COHEN- created ‘cheap labour’ for employers
FINN- hidden political agenda- covers unemployment stats
1988 Education Reform Act
- competition within schools - formula funding
> OFSTEED, national curriculum, MARKETISATION - educational triage, cream-skim & silt-shift
BALL AND GERWITZ- parentocracy is a myth- MC/ CC
1997 New Labour policies
-remained committed to marketisation
> Education Action Zone, sure start, EMA, lower class sizes, city academies
X pay for higher education
X increased use of league tables
X encourage choice- parentocracy
X specialist schools
2010 Coalition Policies
ACADEMISATION
BALL- education system has become dismembered and an patchwork of uneven and unequal provision
> staff pay, school day, save more money, keep good teacher, freedom
X only allowed successful schools to join
X no longer a ‘fresh start’
2015 Conservatives
> free school meals, pupil premium
X cuts to education budget- reduce state spending
BALL- fragmented centralisation- decline in role of local authorities
X austerity programme- sure start closed, EMA abolished
Present Day
5-16 free education
- independent schools, comprehensive schools, grammar, faith, academy , free
- more emphasis on apprenticeships
- guidance in mobile phones
What are the some examples of admission policies for schools?
- catchment area (comprehensive)
- siblings (all)
- religious belief (faith)
- entry test
- application quality (private)
- ability to pay (public/private)
- specific talent
What are left wing political ideologies?
Social democratic perspective
- equality in education system
- equal opportunity regardless of social background (meritocracy)
LABOUR
What are right wing political ideologies?
Neo-liberal perspective
- rolling back the state
- encourage privatisation
- free market
- competition improves standards
CONSERVATIVE
1944 ED butler act
What were the 3 types of schools?
TRIPARTITE SYSTEM
Grammar schools
Technical schools
Secondary modern schools
What is a grammar school?
For the academically able, those who passed the 11 plus
What is a technical school?
Students who failed the 11 plus, but excelled in technical subjects, classes here emphasised vocational skills e.g. engineering
What is a secondary modern school?
Designed for all other students who failed the 11+
What are some advantages of the tripartite system?
- education ‘catered’ to the students ability
- meritocratic in principle
- gave intelligent poorer students a chance of higher education
- helped encourage social mobility
What are some disadvantages of the tripartite system?
- MC could pay for their child to get support for the 11+
- not many technical schools built
- created conflict between MC n WC (went to separate schools)
- students saw themselves as failures if they didn’t get into grammar schools ( parity of self esteem)
- economic problems (decline of university applicants)
- 11+ Qs are culturally bias favouring the MC
1965 Comprehensive ed
How is the selection process for comprehensive educations different to the process under the tripartite system?
There are no entrance exams
A way of selecting a school was down to where you lived also known as catchment area
Why did the conflict between MC and WC still exist after comprehensive education was introduced?
-Schools continued setting and streaming which limited the social classes from mixing as the MC tended to be in higher sets
- Catchment areas were also dominated by one class meaning each school has a majority
How do functionalists and Marxists disagree in their views on comprehensive schools?
F- good for integration and are meritocratic
M- still reproduces inequality through sets
HARGREAVES- hasn’t disappeared it is just under one roof
1979 Vocational Act
What is vocationalism?
Preparing pupils for working life- training for work
V education- qualifications completed in schools- BTECs
V training- completed in workplace e.g. garage
How has vocationalism in the 1970s/80s been criticised?
People believe that vocational courses are lesser of a qualification which has created a huge stigma
How does Marxist Cohen criticise Vocationalism?
1984, claimed the real purpose of vocational training is to create ‘cheap labour’ for employers
What 3 things does Marxist Finn say about Vocationalism?
They had a hidden political agenda
1- undermines the power of trade unions
(only permanent workers could join)
2- used to cover up embarrassing employment stats
3- intended to help reduce crime by getting young people off the streets
WC pushed into vocational courses
What was the purpose of the 1988 Education Reform act?
To raise the quality of teaching the government introduced competition within schools
MARKETISATION
- changed the way they were funded
- no guaranteed lump sum
- depend on the amount of students who attended
- formula funding
- parentocracy
What did the gov introduce to help parents choose which school to send their child to?
- ofsted n league tables
- national curriculum was also introduced
How has the Ed Reform act n marketisation policies been criticised?
EDUCATIONAL TRIAGE
- cream skim n silt shift
- become sink schools
- funding is cut
How do Ball and Gerwitz criticised Ed Reform Act?
Parentocracy is a myth
- MC parents privileged skilled choosers who have more social, economic, cultural capital
- better able to take advantage of these choices
- not all parents have freedom to choose
What did the 1977 New Labour policies remain committed to?
Marketisation
Third way- influenced by both Social Democrat left-winger and Neo-liberal right wing
Advantages of New Labour policies?
- Education Action Zones
- The Aim higher Programme
- National literacy/numeracy strategy
- Increase funding to state education
Disadvantages of New Labour policies?
- being committed to marketisation
- tuition fees for higher education
- didn’t abolish fee-paying private schools nor remove their charitable status
What did Ball say had happened due to academisation?
Education system is being dismembered
- unpicking the national system of state schooling
- lots of types of schools, state, faith, studio
- patchwork of uneven and unequal provision that existed to the prior 1870 education act
What happens in Academies?
Independent, state-funded schools who receive funding directly from central gov rather than a local authority
- more freedom over finances, curriculum, teacher pay etc
Why did Labour create academies?
designed to improve struggling schools, primarily in deprived areas
- give a fresh start, local business had to contribute to new schools
What did the Coalition government do with academies?
Ditched the requirement for a sponsor, could have a selection process
Only allowed successful schools to join together
‘outstanding schools’
What are the advantages of a school becoming an academy?
- they can save money and buy services they need more cheaply
- upping their budget by 10%
- freedom of staff pay to keep and attract good teachers
- control over the school day