5. Educational Policy and Inequality

• 1944- 1960/70s

  Three types of schools were established (tripartite)

  1. Grammar Schools- No longer fee paying . Curriculum suited to the brightest students . Attended by 20% of the schools population those that passed the 11+
  2. Secondary modern - School for the less gifted less academic . Curriculum combining the basic academic subjects with an increased emphasis on practical skills . Designed for 75% who failed 11+
  3. Technical Schools For those with technical skills attended by 5% of schools population
• Tripartite and 11+ reproduced gender inequality by requiring girls to gain higher marks to obfain a grammar school place. Reproduces class inequality by channelling two social classes into two different types of school that offered unequal opportunities
• 1960s - 1980s Comprehensive Education

  Based on the following principles

  ” Pupils of all abilities and background should attend the same type of school . No more divisive 11+ no more selection or entrance exams pupils will simply attend the local secondary schools based on catchment areas
• By 1979 80% of british pupils attended comprehensive schools . Majority of grammar school had been abolished but some remained . Functionalists argue comprehensive schools promote social integration by bringing children of different social classes together in one school. However the reality is there is little mixing between children from different social classes due to streaming.
• 1988- Present

  In 1988 fundamental change happened to British education system . New conservation gov and it was argued comps weren’t enough for pupils parents or country. The marketisation of schools had begun
• Marketisation refers to the process of introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition between suppliers into areas run by state such as education
• Parentocracy refers to the marketisation of education and parental choice . Means rule by parents meaning parents vote for which school they think is best by sending their child there
• Publication of League Tables

  Introduction of 1988 Education reform act brought national curriculum meaning all students learnt same information and sat same tests. (SATS GCSES) produced health of data that can be used to create league tables to compare schools and measure changes overtime . Parents can use this data to make informed choices for their children
• League Tables

  Can be misleading and they do not take into account social class and ethnic origin of pupils or proportion with special needs
• Ofsted Inspection

  System of inspection of schools were introduced . Inspection reports were a further source of information
• Evaluation of League Tables and Ofsted Reports

  Gewirtz 1995 carried out study which showed the publishing of league tables benefitted middle class as they posses the economical and cultural capital which put them in a better position to choose good schools for their children

  In her study of 14 school she conducted structured interviews to show differences in economic and cultural capital influenced class d differences in parental choice for secondary schools
• Three main types of parents were identified through Gerwirtz study (only need to know 2)

  1. Privileged skilled choosers - parents from professionals middle class backgrounds possessed cultural capital and knew how to research the best schools and how the school admission systems worked. Their economic capital meant they could move their children around the education system.
• 2. Disconnected local choosers - WC parents whose choices were restricted by their lack of economic/cultural capital. Found it difficult to understand admissions procedures and valued school facilities over league tables. Funds were often limited and a place at the local comprehensive was often the only option.
• Open Enrolment. Parents were given the right to send their children to the school of their choice
• Open Enrolment policy

  • Compelled every school to recruit the maximum number of clients
  • Each school was a 'product', attempting to attract the best customers
• Formula Funding

  Schools are allocated funds based on how many pupils they attract
• 'Bums on seats funding'

  The financing of schools was intended to reward the most successful schools (and expose the failing schools)
• Popular schools get more funds

  They can afford better-qualified teachers and better facilities
• Unpopular schools lose income

  They find it difficult to match the teacher skills and facilities of their more successful rivals
• New Right view


  This should incentivise unpopular schools to raise their standards and become more popular or eventually close
• Evaluation of FormIla Funding and Enrolment

  • Raising the standards is barely a consequence as schools don’t have the funding to do this. In reality schools with high league table positions perpetuate their popularity at the expense of other schools
• During 2001 general election , labour government said it would transform secondary education through creating diversity of types of schools

  includes the introduction of academies and free schools.
• Academies From 2010 all schools were encouraged to leave local authority control and become academies . Funding was taken from local authority budgets and given directly to academies for them to do with as they saw fit.

  • By 2012 over half all secondary schools converted to academy status
• Free Schools

  • free schools are set up and run by parents, teachers, faith organisations or businesses rather than the local authority.
  • Supporters or free schools claim they improve educational standards by taking control away from the state and giving the power to parents. Free schools, it is claimed, give parents and teachers to opportunity to create a new school if they are unhappy with the state schools in the local area.