Topic 15 - New Right + Education Policies Flashcards
Introduction?
In the early 1980s, the UK saw a shift toward the New Right, led by Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government. This ideology emphasized competition as the most efficient way to run society, advocating for reduced taxes and more personal freedom in spending. State-supported services, like education, were encouraged to be more competitive. However, this led to contradictions in education, as while schools had control over their budgets, they were also subject to government inspections and a new national curriculum.
New Right perspectives of education?
The New Right shares similarities with functionalism, believing in meritocracy, where failure is seen as the result of a lack of ability or effort. They emphasize social competition and market forces, arguing that the government cannot effectively run the education system due to a lack of competition. Their focus is solely on schools, ignoring other factors contributing to underachievement.
New right explanations of school failure?
In the 1970s, the New Right criticized the decline of Britain’s education system after the loss of grammar and secondary modern schools, believing selection was beneficial for children. Chubb and Moe’s research in the USA showed that poor children in private schools performed better, as private schools were more responsive to parents’ needs. The New Right also argued that school discipline had worsened, schools lacked accountability, and teaching methods had failed. They claimed teachers were indoctrinating children with Marxist views and that schools were inefficient and wasteful. However, not everyone agreed, with some arguing that the real problem was schools becoming too focused on examinations.
New Right solutions to the perceived problems?
The New Right’s solutions to perceived educational problems included promoting competition between schools, reducing local councils’ control, allowing schools to make financial decisions, and increasing setting, examinations, inspections, and the publication of results.
the 3 strands to policy making?
The education reforms of the 1980s, followed by Labour and Conservative/Liberal governments, focused on three key strands:
Central control over assessments, the national curriculum, examination systems, and funding, shifting authority from regional to government departments.
Funding for specific projects, with governments allocating money to meet key targets, such as lifelong learning and inclusion of deprived children. Schools had to find ways to apply for and secure funding.
Introduction of assessments by outcome, including target setting, performance criteria, league tables, and teacher pay, with results becoming a central focus.
Evaluating the new rights
Examination results have improved, suggesting the New Right’s education reforms have been successful if the examination system is reliable and valid. However, factors like grade inflation may also explain these changes. Gorrad and Gerwitz argue that middle-class families can secure places in better schools, while failing schools becoming academies often attract more middle-class parents due to better funding and facilities. Teachers and school managers contend that low standards in some schools are due to poverty and poor funding. In a competitive system, some schools win while others, often with more challenging pupils, lose out.
The main aim of functionalism according to the New Right
The New Right’s main aim of functionalism is to encourage competition and market forces to ensure efficient, business-like schools. It focuses on meeting employers’ needs by creating a skilled workforce, improving educational standards, and offering challenges, especially for the most able students. The goal is to create equality of opportunity, promote a meritocratic society, and allow parental choice in education. Schools and teachers are held accountable for performance, with success measured by public examination results.
