Theories of education New Right: lesson 11

Question 1

What do the New Right believe regarding education?

Answer 1

• favours low govt intervention, privatisation and marketisation
• based on neoliberalism
• state shouldn’t control education but should regulate it

Question 2

What do the New Right see the role of the state is regarding education?

Answer 2

• allows schools to compare & compete
• transmits national curriculum & shared culture

Question 3

What do the New Right believe schools should affirm?

Answer 3

• Britains role in history to be portrayed positively
• emphasis on British literature
• Christian act of worship each day

Question 4

What are similarities between the New Right and Functionalism?

Answer 4

• inequality is natural and necessary
• favour competition & meritocracy
• schools should prepare for workforce
• socialise into national curriculum & shared culture

Question 5

What are differences between the New Right and Functionalism?

Answer 5

• Functionalists believe state adequately provides education and meets societal needs
• the New Right believe education isn’t meeting societies needs and privatising it will allow it to reach full potential

Question 6

What do Chubb and Moe believe regarding education?

Answer 6

State education system has failed
- failed to create equal opportunity
- doesn’t adequately provide skills to enter workforce
- private schools deliver better results

Question 7

What was Chubb and Moes experiment?

Answer 7

• 60,000 low income pupils across 1015 state and private schools
• pupils from low income families in private schools preform 5% better than those in state

Question 8

What did Chubb and Moe’s experiment conclude?

Answer 8

• marketisation & privatisation delivers better results
• call for free market education system where parents have control
• “voucher system”

Question 9

How would the voucher system work?

Answer 9

• families would receive voucher to spend on school of their choice so schools respond to parents preferences
• funding depends on attracting students
• compel schools to improve offering as to raise standards

Question 10

What are negative implications of a voucher system?

Answer 10

Insufficient improvement
- don’t consistently lead to test improvement
Equity concerns
- favours middle class

Question 11

What are positive evaluations of the New right?

Answer 11

Marketisation through league tables & OFSTED has improved education quality

Question 12

What are negative evaluations of the New Right?

Answer 12

• Ball: middle class have economic & cultural capital so can select more desirable schools
• contradictions regarding not wanting state involvement but wanting state to impose national curriculum
• Marxist: teaching national curriculum and cultural values is ruling class ideology
• real inequality is due to inadequate state funding