labour policy 1997-2010

• Attempted to overcome divide between vocational and academic qualifications
• New Labour education policy from 1997 to 2010 was influenced by both social democratic and neoliberal perspectives.
• The new labor paradox refers to the contradiction between new liberal policies to tackle inequalities and its commitment to marketisation.
• Social democratic policies were designed to reduce inequalities.
• Academies were established in partnership with employers and other sponsors to replace failing schools.
• Academies provide high education in deprived areas.
• Sponsors have a say in how the school is run and the curriculum.
• These academies represent the sponsors.
• Sure start was targeted at young children and provided free nursery education.
• Sure start children centers were intended to tackle cultural deprivation areas to help the working class.
• Educational action zones were established in the lowest-performing inner cities areas and involved co-operation between a variety of groups to try and raise standards.
• The government was hostile towards private schools and ended the assisted place scheme.
• The government encouraged private schools to help make state schools better.
• Tomlinson criticizes education as being subordinated to the economy.
• Labour inherited 196 specialist schools and by 2007 there were 2,500 specialist schools (75%).
• Competition was higher according to sally Thomlinson in 2005, with the middle class gaining the most from school choice.
• The government supported for pre-school nursery education increased.
• Specialist schools give parents more choice and increase competition.
• The 2006 education and inspection act gave greater freedom into setting their own admissions to specialist schools.
• Non-Christian faiths could set up their schools under the 2006 education and inspection act.
• New labor and neoliberalism saw the main role of education as providing the skills and knowledge required by the workforce in an increasingly competitive global society.
• All education was vocational education according to Tomlinson.
• The new deal for young people expanded partnership had some success in getting unemployed into work, but it didn't last long.
• Critics such as melissa Benn criticize new labor for introducing greater privatization, which removes democratic accountability.
• Gilborn and youdell (2000) suggest education triage, with three categories: easily will get A-C, borderline, and hopeless cases.
• The education maintenance allowance gave students aged 16-19 a weekly allowance for low income.
• The government wanted lower class to go to university.
• The government introduced stricter Ofsted guidance for improving failing schools.
• The government introduced the introduction of tuition fees in 1998.