THE NEW RIGHT POLICY 1979-1997 Flashcards
introduction to the new right
- influenced conservative governments of margaret thatcher and john major
- key idea relates to free marked economics - uncontrolled capitalism is allowed to flourish (businesses can compete against one another)
what are the four impacts of the new rights marketization policies
- education and economic growth
- competition choice and standards
- testing and examining
- curriculum content
what is education and economical growth
- one of the four impacts of the new right
- education should be concerned with promoting economic growth rather than creating greater equality
- many school leavers left unemployable because of their lack of skills
- youth training schemes and GNVQs (btecs) where intoduced
what is competition choice and standards
they argue the best way to raise standards is to introduce market forces (turn schools into a business), encouraging competition between schools and schools that failed to attract students would be forced to improve or close:
- NATIONAL CURRICULUM: ensures schools focus on what gov seen important
- PARENTAL CHOICE: parents have the right to choose the school, parents = consumers
- OPEN ENROLMENT: schools compelled to recruit max no of students they can
- FORMULA FUNDING: financing of schools = based on number of enrolments - intending to reward most successful schools
what is testing and examining
parents need to be able to make an informed choice about the school they choose for their child the new right increase testing and the publication of results:
- LEAGUE TABLES: easy comparisons between schools
- ATTAINMENT TARGETS: for children aged 7,11,14 and 16 - in hope standards would rise as schools compete with one another to reach targets
what is curriculum content and what sociologist comments on it
the new right favoured a more traditional and business like approach to education
BALL:
business studies where introduced at both academic and vocational level however there was an emphasis on retaining traditional values and subject such as Latin and Greek
-vocational subjects
what are three criticisms of the new right
1) BARLETT LE GRAND: open enrolment, formula funding and league tables lead to cream skimming, school select best pupils to improve their results, these pupils are most likely to be middle class
2)BARLETT LE GRAND: schools will silt shift pupils who feel wont help their exam results by not offering them a place, these pupils are most likely to be working class
3) SELECTION BY MORTAGE: middle class parents are able to afford houses in the catchment areas of good schools
why are glossy brochures and DVDs used for advertising schools
- schools have to advertise in the same way that normal company’s do
- large sums of money are spent my by schools to produce things eg prospectuses, adverts on newspapers
what are public relations and business heads
some schools appoint heads from non teaching backgrounds usually from the world of business - most schools have financial and marketing teams in place
what is the focus on parental choice
- providing parents with a level of choice
- many believed that this choice was a myth: parentocrcay is a myth
- many believe that this favours the middle class again
what are the three types of choosers BALL BOWE AND GEWITZ identify
- PRIVELLEGED CHOOSERS:
- spend time finding out about schools + evaluate claims made about them
- have money to make decisions to benefit edu eg move house to be in catchment
- mc + teachers in social circle - SEMI SKILLED CHOOSERS:
- just as concerned about childs education
- dont have same level of skill - cultural capital
- less likely to appeal
- less likely to be MC
- more likely to accept rumours about school - DISCONNECTED CHOOSERS:
- not inclined to get involved in education market
- consider 2 closest schools as dont have car or access to public transport
- emphasis on happiness of child not academic reputation of school
- wc
- likely to send child to failing school
what did ball et al find
the higher a persons social class the more likely they were to benefit form the best schooling
what are six criticisms of the national curriculum
1) too much testing has created too much stress and anxiety amongst young people
2) the introduction of league tables has made teachers teach to the test
3) teachers no longer have the freedom to plan lesson and courses as they wished
4) too much focus on traditional subjects leads to a lack of breadth
5) pupils don’t have the chance to be creative as there is too much focus on assessments
6) Marxists heavily criticise the pro business agenda of the national curriculum
what did MacNiel argue about the national curriculum
- languages are predominantly modern European e.g French German and Spanish
- history often focuses on white figures from history and ignores the contributions made from ethnic minority’s
- music focuses on music of a white origin
- literature works of black writers where ignored in favour of Shakespeare and Dickins
what does Finn say the hidden agenda is behind youth training schemes
- they could be used as a cheap source of labour
- the scheme would reduce embarrassing unemployment statistics
- the government hoped that the scheme would reduce crime by taking up the free time of young people
