Education policies (Equality)

• What are the 4 aims of education policy in the UK?

  - Educational Equality: ensuring all pupils get the best educational opportunities.

  
  

  - Marketisation: to create an 'education market' and improve parents and pupils choices.

  
  

  - Raising Standards: required to compete in the global 'education market' where the UK education system is ranked against other countries (e.g. PISA- program for international student assessment).
• Gillborn and Youdell- Aspects of educational equality


  - Equality of access (every child should have the opportunity to access education of a similar quality regardless of socio-economic background.)

  
  

  - Equality of circumstance (children should start school with a similar socio-economic background to be equal.)

  
  

  - Equality of participation (all students should have an equal chance to participate in the processes that make up a school.)

  
  

  - Equality of outcome ( all students have the same chances of achievement regardless of socio-economic background.)
• 1988 Educational Reform Act (National Curriculum)


  - Increased equality because all schools now had to teach the same core curriculum.

  
  

  Evaluation:

  Not suitable for all- suits 'academic' pupils more
• Comprehensive School


  A type of school attended by all children regardless of ability or aptitude, funded by the state and run by local authority.
• 1965- Introduction of Comprehensive Schools


  - Increased Equality because it meant that the 11+ was abolished and all children had the same chance to get into schools, regardless of ability or aptitude.

  
  

  Evaluation:

  Comprehensives are large schools, so lack individual attention.
• Schools Admission Code 2014


  - Increased Equality because it forbade discrimination in admitting pupils on the grounds of socio-economic backgrounds or ability.

  
  

  Evaluation:

  Covert Selection still takes place by both schools and parents (postcode lottery).
• Policies that improve inequality in circumstances

  Pupil premium - additional funding for those students from a poor socio-economic background (compensatory education).

  
  

  Evaluation:

  Kerr and West- too many other factors outside of schools that impact achievement.
• 3 types of selection within education

  - Selection of Ability (entrance tests)

  
  

  - Selection by aptitude (Talents- art or music skills)

  
  

  - Selection by Faith
• Arguments in favour of selection

  - Allows 'high-flyers' to benefit.

  
  

  - Specialised and focused teaching can take place.
• Arguments against selection


  - Late developers don't benefit.

  
  

  - Mixed ability fosters social cohesion.

  
  

  - Reduced risk of labelling and therefore Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.

  
  

  - Higher-ability students can act as an inspiration to other students.
• Over Subscription Policies

  Priority to:

  - children in care

  - pupil premium

  - siblings (at the discretion of LA)

  - catchment area - closest first

  - faith
• Open Enrolment Policies and Parental Choice

  Open Enrolment policies mean that parents can apply for any state school and if the school is undersubscribed they must take the child.

  However, oversubscribed schools fill up quickly and parents don't always get their first choice.
• Covert Selection (Tough and Brooks)


  Tough and Brooks identified covert selection, in which schools cherry-pick students who are likely to be of higher ability by discouraging parents from poorer socio-economic backgrounds from even applying in the first place.

  This may involve:

  -Making school literature difficult to understand for parents with poor literacy

  -Expensive school uniforms

  -Not publicizing the school in poorer areas