EDUCATION

• Types of Schools

  • Vocational education
  • Selective schools
  • Church school
  • Free school
  • Academies
  • Faith school
  • Comprehensive school
  • Independent school
  • Specialist school
  • Higher education
  • Further education
  • Grammar school
• Interestingly, one school can be more than one type. For example, Colchester County High is a selective (grammar) academy with specialist status (science & MFL).
• Faith school

  A school introduced by Labour in 2004 that teaches a general curriculum but with a particular religious character or having formal links with a religious organisation
• Grammar school

  A secondary school which you need to pass the 11+ to go to
• Church school


  A school which is committed to Christian beliefs
• Independent school

  A fee-paying school that may or may not follow the national curriculum
• Academies


  These primary and secondary schools are directly funded by central government but not controlled by local government. Schools can decide how to spend their own budget and can make more of their own decisions, like opening hours. The school may receive additional financial support from sponsors
• Specialist school


  Schools which focus on certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. Government gave extra funding to help schools to improve in their chosen subject. This school started in 1994 but was ended in 2010

  
• Higher education

  Undergraduate, postgraduate level education (universities)
• Comprehensive school


  A state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. First began in 1946 but expanded and much more common from 1965. Many have now converted to academies
• Selective school


  A school which has some specific form of entry criteria. May be based on intelligence or some other talent, such as musical or sporting ability
• Vocational education

  Education based on occupation or employment, such as a BTEC in Catering or an NVQ in Hairdressing
• Free school


  A school in England funded by taxpayers, which is free to attend, but which is not controlled by a local authority. Often set up by local parents or another community group. They have more decision-making power than traditional secondary schools, such as not bound by the National Curriculum. However, they do still face Ofsted inspections
• Further education


  Educational provision for 16-18-year olds, and includes both those doing academic courses (A-levels) and those doing vocational courses
• What you need to know about sociological theories and education

  • How does each theory view the role of education?
  • How does each theory see education as transmitting messages?
  • How useful or relevant is each theory for understanding education today?
• Macro theories


  Explore and explain society from a large-scale perspective, and explore issues from an institutional level, rather than at an individual level
• Macro theories

  • Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism
• Micro theories


  Seek to understand society by looking at small scale interactions
• Micro theories


  • Social Action theory, also known as interactionism or interpretivism
• Structural theories


  See us as entirely shaped by the structures of society, and claim that institutions control people's behaviour. Individuals are passive, like puppets on a string, controlled by social forces, and this can be seen as positive or negative
• Structural theories

  • Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism
• Action theories


  View the individual as having free-will and choice, rather than being shaped by society. Emphasise the power of individuals to create society through their actions and interactions with people
• Action theories


  • Social Action theory, also known as interactionism or interpretivism
• Consensus theories


  Believe that society is based on agreement and shared values which create balance, harmony and well-being in society
• Consensus theories


  • Functionalism
• Conflict theories


  Believe that society is unequal and unfair which create divisions and disagreement in society, although different conflict theories believe the conflict is between different groups
• Conflict theories


  • Marxism and Feminism
• Postmodernism rejects all 'types' as it believes that they are no longer relevant or useful
• Theory Timeline

  • Modern (1700-1950's)
  • Late Modern (1970 -?)
  • Postmodern (1980's -?)
• Institutions like education were becoming more specialised. Education system was expanding. The government was playing more of a role in people's lives. Society was becoming industrialised and moving away being based on agriculture.
• Massive social changes, the second wave of feminism, some people becoming less religious. Education expanding and more people going to university than ever.
• Education reflects postmodern global society, where there is greater migration and spread of ideas. Lots of social changes and postmodernists argue that traditional theories are no longer useful for explaining these changes.
• Theories


  • Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, Social Action, Postmodernism
• Functionalism

  A macro and structural theory, so argues that society shapes individuals through social institutions such as education, and schools are a key agency of secondary socialisation. Functionalism is also a consensus theory and believes that society works on agreed values, and institutions like education benefit the individual and society. The term organic analogy is used by functionalists to describe a system of interrelated parts of society which are interdependent, such as education and the economy.
• Functionalist view of education


  Social institutions such as education perform positive functions both for society as a whole and for individuals. For example, by socialising new members of society, by helping to create and sustain social solidarity, and by preparing people for their role in the economy.
• Parsons' view


  Parsons argues that school is the 'focal socialising agency' of modern society, and education is an important part of secondary socialisation. During primary socialisation within the family, each child is treated differently, as someone who is special, which Parsons refers to as particularistic values. In contrast, wider society cannot function in this way and everyone has to be treated and measured in the same way via universalistic values. Education promotes these universalistic standards and acts as a bridge between family and wider society. In particular, it socialises individuals into the shared values of a meritocratic society.
• Meritocracy


  A system that is fair, giving everyone an equal chance of success. Therefore, if you work hard and you are talented, you will succeed. Meritocracy is based on two key values: 1) Individual achievement - Everyone achieves their status through their own efforts and abilities; it is not who you know or where you come from but what you can do that gives you your position in society (achieved status, not ascribed). 2) Equal opportunity - For everyone to achieve their full potential.
• Durkheim's view

  Durkheim argues that education has two functions: 1) To create social solidarity - Education teaches us to understand that we are part of a society by transmitting society's culture via secondary socialisation, otherwise society would not work. Therefore, school acts as 'society in miniature'. 2) To learn specialist skills - As a result of structural differentiation (where institutions become more specialised as society becomes more complex and industrialised) the economy demands specialist workers who often have to undergo long periods of training for specific occupations. Therefore, education equips individuals with the specialist skills needed to work in a modern economy.
• Davis and Moore's view

  Davis and Moore argue that education performs two functions: 1) Sift and sort – The main function of education is to sift and sort students to their future work roles. This is because some students are more talented than others in particular subjects and some work roles are more complex than others and require greater skill. Therefore, education tests students to find out who is more intelligent than others and pushes them towards the better subjects. A meritocratic education system allows everyone to compete equally, to ensure the most talented get the best qualifications and the most important jobs. 2) Role allocation - Once the best students have been identified and are studying the better subjects, they are then able to go on to train for the most important jobs. These jobs have higher rewards offered, such as better pay, so that everyone is motivated to strive for them. As a result, society is more productive because the most able people do the most important jobs.
• New Right


  A political ideology linked to the Conservative party, and has shaped education policy and influenced all governments since 1979. Features include: Small State, Low Taxes, Deregulation, Privatisation, Marketisation, Self-Reliance.