Educational policy

• Educational policy meritocracy

  idea of individuals being rewarded based on merit
• Educational policy Tripartite system

  introduced as part of the 1944 Butler Act - introduced 3 types of schools = Grammar school (after passing the 11+), Secondary modern (for those who failed, where you didn't want to go) and the Technical school (meant to offer vocational courses, but never received the required funding)
• Criticism of the Tripartite system

  • system was too blunt with its insistence that the exam should be taken at the age of 11 - many pupils, particularly boys developed academically after the age of 11 yet had been allocated to a Secondary Modern school
  • despite the fact that all schools were meant to have a 'parity of esteem' the reality was the Secondary Modern was seen as a school for failures
  • Technical schools were not expanded in the way the Act suggested
  • big differences in the number of grammar school places available throughout the country
• Educational policy advantages of vocational education

  • lead to a more skilled workforce making the economy more competitive
  • offers an alternative to traditional qualifications
  • higher levels of achievement for some pupils who knew which industry they wanted to work in
• Educational policy New labour

  Educational Reform Act 1988

  introduced the concept of marketisation - school league tables, a national curriculum - pupils in all state schools were taught the same topics
• Educational policy Parentocracy

  Miriam David

  means rule by parents
• Educational policy marketisation

  Chubb and Moe

  believe that marketisation is beneficial because competition between schools is believed to improve standards and efficiency
• Educational policy formula funding

  government use a funding formula to determine how much money should be allocated to each school - funding per child, although a range of other factors are taken into account
• Criticism of the Educational reform act 1988

  • some feel primary school spend too long preparing pupils to pass tests instead of just teaching them
  • Ball - marketisation gives the appearance of creating a 'parentocracy' but this is a myth
  • Gerwitz - mc parents have more economic and cultural capital to take advantage of the choices available - privileged skilled choosers (move to catchment areas of good school, understand admissions process) and wc parents are disconnected skilled choosers who were restricted by lack of economic and cultural capital
• New Labour 1977- 2010 Blair

  Education, Education, Education- focus of Blair's government

  Fragmentation and increased centralisation of control over education- Ball

  introduction of University tuition fees - required to pay £1000 a year however this has increased to £9535 in 2025-26
• Criticism of New labour

  Gillborn and Youdell- policies within school to improve attainment have concentrated upon A-C students

  Whittey sees a contradiction between labour policies to tackle inequality and its commitment to marketisation - Education maintenance allowance may have encouraged students to stay in education till 18 however uni fees may deter the wc from going to uni
• Positives of New labour

  Trowler increased spending on state education, raising standards - labour's commitment to reducing educational inequality

  Sure start 1988, an area based programme to deliver services for parents and supporting young children
• Conservatives 2010-2024

  free schools- although directly funded by the state, free schools are set up and run by parents, teachers, businesses

  Rebecca allen- research from Sweden, free schools only benefit children from highly educated families
• Conservatives 2010-2024

  Bartlett

  cream skimming- schools select pupils usually high achieving middle class students who are cheaper to teach- educational inequality

  silt shifting- schools avoid enrolling students who are less able and likely to do poor and these students are left to worse schools- helps maintain school league position
• Conservatives 2010-2024

  Pupil premium- additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise attainment of disadvantaged pupils
• Conservatives class gap

  McKnight

  argue standards have increased but the class gap remains wide
• Coalition policies

  aimed to reduce inequality

  free school meals - for all children in reception, Year 1, Year 2

  pupil premium- money schools receive for each pupil from a disadvantaged background - raise attainment
• criticism of coalition policies

  Ofsted 2012 found that in most cases pupil premium was not being spent on those it was supposed to help
• privatisation of education 2000

  rapid trend towards privatisation of important aspects of education- a source of profit for capitalists

  Private companies are involved in the building of schools, providing supply teachers, career advice etc
• Globalisation/Polarisation of education

  many private companies in the PES are foreign owned - Edexcel is owned by an USA company