educ policy

• The tripartite system basic info - selection


  Following 1944 eduction act idea of meritocracy was popularised

  The act introduced the tripartite system of state schools - allocation based on ability ( the 11+ )
• The tripartite system - grammar schools

  -> evaluation - what do GORARD & SIDDIQUI


  Students were offered places based on their score on the compulsory 11+ exam

  Offered an academic curriculum and access to higher education

  
  

  - G&S: grammar schools produce considerably better results and rank better BUT these rankings do not take other other factors (eg number of students experiencing mat dep) into consideration - once you factor in these there is no evidence to suggest that they are actually better

  
  

  EVALUATION

  Reproduction of class inequality reproduction of gender inequality ( fewer girls grammar schools and the grade boundaries were higher for girls schools )
• The tripartite system - secondary moderns


  Students who were unable to pass the 11+ were often sent here

  Focused on delivering a non academic curriculum

  Access to jobs involving manual work was the main focus

  EVALUATION

  reproduction of class inequality

  Some working class students were in secondary moderns irrespective off their academic ability ( cost of grammar uniform etc )
• The tripartite system - technical schools


  Specific to science / technical skills

  Very few built due to expenses

  System was in effect a bipartite
• The comprehensive school system


  Introduced from 1965 onwards with the aim of overcoming class divide created by tripartite

  Abolished the compulsory 11+

  Removal of sec mods and grammars and replaced by comps

  BUT local area had authority to keep their grammar schools, 11+ became optional
• Evaluation of the comprehensive system


  TONY AND BROOKES- comps implement methods to covertly select pupils eg:

  Making school applications difficult to deter wc parents

  Expensive uniform

  Not publicising the school to poorer areas

  Having requirements of faith ( most common within mc)

  
  

  thus, class inequality still present
• Functionalist view of the comp system

  Positive

  Promotes social integration

  More meritocratic than the tripartite

  Takes into consideration the fact that different students reach their full academic potential at different points in their life ( academic value should not universally be placed on a student at 1 1 )
• Marxist view of the comp system


  Negative

  Myth of meritocracy

  Comps promote setting and streaming, the labelling that is consequential to that reproduces class inequality
• New right view of the comprehensive system


  Neg

  Comps 'drag down'' higher ability students by placing them in mixed ability classes

  If all schools provide the same education, parentocracy does not exist

  State schools have a monopoly ( one provider of services ) no incentive to improve
• JULIEN FORD on comps

  Found little evidence of wc pupils mixing with mc pupils, largely due to streaming
• MARKETISATION


  Refers to the process of introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition within schools to gain greater efficiency

  Marketisation has created a (quasi) education market by reducing state control and increasing parental choice and competition
• Marketisation policies


  1988 education reform act- introduced by thatcher ( Tory gov )

  1997 onwards- Blair and brown followed suit - emphasised standards, diversity and above all choice ( new labour gov )

  2010 onwards -coalition ( Tory and libdems ) took marketisation even further by creating free schools and academies
• 1988 education reform act


  Marketisation- comp between school to create incentive to improve

  Parentocracy

  Testing- tests sat at ages 7,11,14 along with GCSEs and a levels

  The national curriculum - influence of local authorities reduced, gov control

  League tables- designed to provide info abt the standard of a school, also puts pressure on schools to produce impressive grades

  Diversifying school choice- greater variety of schools

  Private education
• DAVID


  Describes the marketisation of education as 'parentocracy
• Policies/ things that promote marketisation


  Publication of league tables and OFSTED reports

  Business sponsorships

  Open enrolment - allow successful schools to recruit more pupils

  Specialist schools

  Formula funding

  Schools having liberty to opt out of gov control ( acds)

  Introduction of tuition fees

  Allowing parent to set up free schools
• BALL AND WHITTY


  Claim that marketisation reproduces inequality, the 'odds are stacked' against the wc
• Evaluating marketisation - BARLETT


  Claims that publishing exam results through league tables results in cream skimming and silt sifting

  cream skimming- 'good' schools can be more selective and choose their own customers (recruiting high achieving mc students)

  silt-shifting- 'good' schools can avoid taking on less able pupils who are likely to get poor results and damage the schools league table position
• the funding formula


  Schools are allocated funds by a formula based on how many pupils they attract. More popular schools get more funds, can afford better qualified teachers and better facilities attracting more middle class applicants.

  results in a spiral of decline for failing schools
• public policy research (2012)


  Competition-oriented, marketised education systems like Britain's produce more segregation between children of different social backgrounds.
• GERWITZ


  Parental choice research. 14 London schools studied along with secondary data. Three types of parents: m/c privileged choosers, w/c disconnected local choosers, semiskilled mainly w/c ambitious parents.
• BALL (parentocracy)


  argues that although marketisation creates the allusion of parent choice, it is not a reality

  supported by Gerwitz study
• vocational training (conservatives)


  tories felt that thne youth unemployment crisis was consequential to schools failing to teach appropriate skills

  vocational course options became available, they were on the job training and part time study

  qualification known as the NVQ

  eg: construction, beauty therapy
• COHEN (NVQs)


  claimed that the purpose of vocational training was to create good attitudes and work discipline rather than actual skills

  young people more likely to accept a life of low paid work

  a way of keeping the wc in 'their place
• FINN (NVQs)


  neo marxist

  argued that there was hidden political agenda to NVQs

  provided cheap labour for employers

  undermined the power of unions (only permanent workers can unionise)

  reduced politically embarrassing employment stats
• 1988 education reform act summary


  marketisation of schools (eg via funding formula- based on no. of pupils)

  league tables

  national curric (schools can be compared easier)

  testing at 7,11,14, GCSE and A-level)
• EVALUATION OF NEW RIGHT POLICIES (1979-97)


  effects of testing on children

  damaging and stressful

  the idea that teachers 'teach the test' not actual valuable skills

  
  

  the educational market is artificial

  quasi market

  parents are not paying for an education and do not select schools based on price

  league tables were able to be manipulated (schools not entering failing pupils for exams)

  schools may expel 'difficult' pupils to manipulate schools image

  
  

  inequality

  consequential to cream skimming and silt shifting
• NEW LABOUR (97-2010)


  led by blair

  many new right policies were developed

  eg: increased choice- by the time NL left power, there were nearly 20 diff types of schools available

  
  

  funding for specialist schools- schools had to raise £50,000 from sponsors which the gov would match

  
  

  continued privatisation- new buildings partially financed privately (private finance initiative)

  private comp. did the building and were given contracts to repay the investment and provide maintenance
• TOMLINSON


  claimed that NL were not the social democrats they claimed to be

  mc gained most (were able to attend the best performing schools)

  attempts to overcome divide between NVQs and and standard quals was unsuccessful, it was more difficult to gain places in prestigious unis with NVqs
• BALL (NL crit)


  education could not compensate for the effects low income has on educational performance

  NL managed to overall improve a-c grades and improved the gap in the educational market BUT the gender gap remained
• BERNSTEIN


  'Education cannot compensate for soc'

  education reflects social inequalities rather than eliminating them
• NL and reducing inequality


  EDUCATION ACTION ZONES

  identifying deprived areas and providing them with better resources

  THE AIM HIGHER PROGRAMME

  to raise aspirations of groups under-represented in HE

  EMAs

  payments to post 16 students from low income families to encourage them to stay in edu

  NATIONAL LIT STRATEGY

  increasing lit and numeracy hours in schools and reducing primary school class sizes (this is most beneficial to dis groups)

  CITY ACADS

  2001 the idea of CA were proposed to give struggling inner-city schools (mainly wc students) a fresh start (increased resourcing)

  SURE START

  aimed to tackle cultural dep
• MELISSA BENN


  the NL paradox

  contradiction with NL attempting to reduce inequal. but committing to marketisation

  eg EMAS introduced but so were tuition fees
• about the coalition gov


  policies strongly influenced by the NR AND neoliberal ideas about reducing state inv.

  econ in a recession at the time of their power, thus, cuts to education budget
• Coalition aims for acad.

  -> what did they want by 2022

  Funding for acads come straight from gov (instead of being filtered through local authority) meaning there is greater freedom to spend budget as acad sees fit (more cost effective) than sticking to what local auth thinks (could work out more expensive)

  
  

  by 2012 over half of comps. had converted

  
  

  HOWEVER

  this caused inequality as academisation was no longer aimed at failing/ disadvantaged schools (NL aims)

  
  

  
  

  ->> wanted all schools to convert to acads by 2022 however, they failed to meet this goal after strong opposition from well performing schools who felt it counterproductive to move from LEA control - suggests weakness in tory edu policies
• coalition gov and free schools


  claimed to improve educational standards by taking control from the state and giving power to the parents
• REBECCA ALLEN (free schools)


  claimed that research in Sweden suggests that children only benefit from free schools if they are from highly educated families

  
  

  others also agree that they are socially divisive due to having strict pupil selection and exclusion policies
• the austerity programme consequences on edu.


  EMA abolished

  sure start centres closed

  spending on school buildings cut by 60%

  uni fees tripled
• coalition reforms to vocational curric.


  value of NVQs downgraded

  only 125 could be equivalent to GCSEs, in comparison to previous 3000

  why?

  to stop schools climbing league tables with voc. quals.
• coalition reforms to general edu


  favoured more traditional subjects

  
  

  league tables reformed- based on students getting A-C in eng, maths and sci
• coalition and reducing inequality


  FSM to all pupils from reception- year 2

  pupil premium- money that schools receive for each pupil from disadvantaged backgrounds