Education Paper

• 2 ways streaming is good for students

  Increases competition amongst students therefore they work harder to remain in top sets

  Helps brighter students as they won't be demotivated or held back by weaker students.
• 3 ways educational policies may widen educational inequalities

  Marketisation policies led to cream skimming and silt shifting where schools would select more able students and ignore the less academic ones who were usually in the working class.

  Ofsted inspections give schools ratings in order to increase parentocracy however it was only beneficial for the middle class who could utilise cultural capital knowledge.

  League tables led to Gilborn and Youdell's theory of the A-C economy which led to greater inequality for ethnic minorities such as African Carribean boys.
• Evaluate 2 ways which schools prepare students well for their role in wider society (POINT)

  Durkheim says education transmits norms and values of society and this is done via secondary socialisation. This socialisation provides universalistic norms that are shared by wider society as opposed to particularistic ones transmitted by the family.
• Evaluate 2 ways which schools prepare students well for their role in wider society (evidence)

  This theory is seen to be successful in the fact that truancy rates have decreased significantly, as punctuality is valued within school. This assists students towards their future careers punctuality is shared value of both school and the working world.
• Evaluate 2 ways which schools prepare students well for their role in wider society
(EVALUATION)



  However post-modernists say that with today's society being more culturally diverse people have many different faiths and beliefs whilst living side-by-side. Therefore schools can't produce a single set of shared norms and beliefs, nor should they as this marginalises other cultures, beliefs and points of view.
• Evaluate 2 ways which schools prepare students well for their role in wider society (link)

  Overall the functionalist view highlights that the transmission of shared norms and values prepares students well for their role in society as it teaches them how to behave so they become fully functional members of society.
• Evaluate 2 ways which schools prepare students well for their role in wider society (point)

  Additionally the Functionalists Davis & Moore argued that the education system provides a system of role allocation. They argued some roles (jobs) in society were more important than others so needed to be filled with the most able and talented people. For them education selects the most talented individuals through examinations and allocates them the most important roles in society.
• Evaluate 2 ways which schools prepare students well for their role in wider society (example)

  This is evident in the fact that those who achieve higher grades go on to access university degrees and higher paying jobs that require more complex skills. So are therefore sifted and sorted in the most appropriate role for them. They are then met with monetary rewards, given that those who achieve degrees earn 85% more. Davis and Moore would describe this as meritocracy and argue that both school and society as a whole are meritocratic.
• Evaluate 2 ways which schools prepare students well for their role in wider society (evaluation)

  Marxists would argue against the meritocratic view labelling it as a myth. Through the Marxist lens meritocracy only legitimises class inequality, blaming the proletariats for their own status. There is no strong correlation between educational achievement, financial gain and social mobility. Instead social class, race, disability, ethnicity and gender are major factors.
• For example those with learning disabilites such as ADHD are labelled as 'disruptive' and don't receive the help they require. As such they are more likely to be expelled from school and their 'talent' or 'effort' are disregarded.
• Evaluate 2 ways which schools prepare students well for their role in wider society (evaluation)

  In addition, concepts such as nepotism are ignored in the meritocratic view. Those who are born into wealth and power consequently have an advantage over those of lower classes. They are much more likely to find themselves in higher positions irrespective of their talent or effort.
• Schools reinforce gender identities (Intro)

  Research shows that even from a young age children are keen to demonstrate their knowledge of gender identities. Students tend to value being accepted as a 'typical' boy or girl and school is an important arena where one can act out their gender identity and affirm their masculinity or femininity.
• Schools


  • Reinforce gender identities
• "Laddish" identity


  Reinforced through peer groups
• Male peer groups reinforce the idea that

  1. Working hard is unmasculine for boys

  2. Pressure their peers into not taking school work seriously
• Boys who are seen to be getting on with classwork

  • Labelled as 'sissys' or 'swats'
• Being labelled these names

  Seen as a threat to their masculinity
• Boys adopt a laddish subculture


  To demonstrate their masculinity and reinforce their gender identity
• Increase of girls moving into more masculine dominated sectors


  Boys feel the need to mark themselves as non-feminine
• Boys adopt the traits of not caring about school

  To conform to the expectations of their laddish subculture which reinforces their gender identity
• The existence of these laddish subcultures demonstrate how schools nurture the reinforcement of gender identities