Educational policy and inequality - education

• Education Reform Act 1988 - conservatives (Margaret Thatcher)

  1. League tables and ofsted reports
  2. Funding formular
  3. Parentocracy
• League tables

  published so parents can identify best school

  • Equality - all students receive better quality education
  • Inequality - low performing schools get stuck in a spiral of decline
• Funding Formular

  Schools receive same amount of money for each student and compete to enrol as many students as possible

  • Equality - all students receive better quality education
  • Inequality - spiral of decline
• Parentocracy


  parents are allowed to apply to any school they want

  • Equality - all students receive better quality education
  • Inequality - Gerwitz working class parents are disconnected local choosers
• New labour: social democratic influences - Tony Blair

  1. EAZ and academies
  2. EMA
  3. Aim higher
  4. Specialised schools
• 1. EAZ and academies: underperforming areas provided with additional resources and funding
  2. EMA: payments for pupils from low-income families
  3. Aim Higher: raise the aspirations of groups under-represented in higher education

  • Equality - target disadvantaged groups
  • Inequality - fatalism and immediate gratification are still a barrier
• Specialised Schools

  could apply for specialist status in particular areas of the curriculum.

  • Equality - system plays to students strengths
  • Inequality - benefits middle class students as they can travel further
• The Coalition 2010 - David Cameron and Nick Clegg

  1. Academies and free schools
  2. Raising the school leaving age
  3. Free school meals
  4. Pupil premium
• Academies and free schools

  state-funded schools who receive their funding directly from the government - drive up standards by putting more power in head teachers

  • Equality - individually tailor education to students
  • Inequality - can be selective
• 1. Raising the school leaving age - stay in education until 18
  2. Free school meals - provided to economically deprived students
  3. Pupil premium - money received for pupils from disadvantaged students

  Equality - opportunity to gain same qualifications

  Inequality - setting students up to fail
• Marketisation leads to privatisation

  Cola-isation: private companies are penetrating schools indirectly (vending machines)

  • Equality - gain extra funds that can be reinvested into the school
  • Inequality - Ball - turns into a commodity