Policies

• 1870 education act 


  The act made education compulsory from the ages of 5-11 years old in an attempt to educate the masses and eliminate the social class divide.

  Was not free.
• 1902 education act 


  Local education authorities became responsible for schools in their area.

  Parents had a choice of 3 types of school to send their children to:

  Elementary school (w/c)

  Grammar school (fees - m/c, but w/c could get a scholarship if passed an exam).

  Public school (w/c)
• Schooling by class


  Before the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, education was only available to a minority of the population. It was provided by fee paying schools for the middle class, or by churches and charities for a few of the lower classes.

  Industrialisation increased the need for an educated workforce, and from the 19th century the state became for involved in education.

  Education depended on class. M/c prepared for careers, w/c taught basic literacy and numeracy skills needed for routine factory work.
• 1944 education act 


  Aimed to give every pupil an equal chance to develop their abilities to the full potential within a free education system.

  Reorganised the structure of education in England & Wales into 3 stages:

  Primary 5-11 years.

  Secondary 11-15 years.

  Further / higher education.

  Led to the tripartite system.
• Tripartite system 


  Students completed the 11+ exam which led to them being placed in one of the following schools depending on their score:

  Grammar school - for the highly intelligence (pass 11+ exams).

  Secondary modern - for the average student, a basic education with more practical subjects.

  Technical college - vocational training and skills based learning for the low academic abilities.
• Evaluation of selection by ability

  11+ exam unreliable. When all pupils allowed to do GCEs and O levels secondary schools outperformed grammar schools.

  Selection process was wasteful as those who failed the 11+ exams were given less opportunities.

  M/c students were better prepared for the exams.

  11+ exams used elaborated code (Bernstein).

  Secondary schools had less funding so poorer resources and facilities.
• 3 into 1


  Aimed to create equality among social classes.

  Creation of the comprehensive school, a school for all regardless of ability or social class.

  11+ exam abolished.

  Schools depended on your catchment area.

  All schools given the same funding and facilities.
• Evaluation of comprehensive education

  Lowered educational standards.

  Social class divisions remained unchanged, m/c still did better compared to w/c.

  Class divisions remained as the school you attended depended on catchment area. Each schools mostly w/c or m/c.

  W/c students often placed in lower streams and lower tier exams.
• Vocational / work based education & training

  Until the 1970s, vocational training was seen as employers responsibility. Rise in youth Unemployment in the 1970s led to this changing. Schools were argued to be producing people who lacked skills, causing to industry lacking a skills shortage. This led to gov involvement in youth training.

  Training schemes and vocational qualifications.
• Training schemes 


  1 year course to provide work based training for school leavers.

  Stay in education and study a vocational course at the same time as working.
• Vocational qualifications 


  National vocational qualifications (NVQ) 1986 targeted specific occupations to provide training at the same time as studying.

  Offered in art, health and social care, manufacturing and tourism.
• Evaluation of new vocationalism

  Lack of jobs was the issue, not lack of skills.

  Training was of a low standard.

  Considered to be of a lower status. Mostly taken on by w/c. Taken less seriously by organisations.
• 1988 education reform act 


  Creation of the education marketplace.

  Increasing competition and choice.

  Aimed to raise standards as parents and students will choose the most successful schools which will expand to meet the demand for places, and will reject the failing schools which will close .
• 1988 education act key policies - competition and choice 


  Have parents the right to be involved in their child’s education.

  Parentocracy - parents can directly affect the schools funding if they choose to send their child there. Competition created higher standards.
• 1988 education act key policies - national curriculum


  Government told schools what they had to teach.
• 1988 education act key policies - league tables 


  All schools had to publish their exam results.

  Exam league tables rank each school according to exam performance.

  Increased competition between schools to attract pupils.
• David 


  Parentocracy:

  Power moved away from schools and towards parents.

  Creates greater diversity and choice for parents.

  Standards raised through competition.
• Barlett


  The policy of publishing each schools exam results in a league table ensures that schools that achieve high results are in high demand. This leads to:

  Cream skimming - selecting higher ability students who gain the best results and cost less to teach.

  Silt shifting - offloading students with low academic performance onto other schools.
• The funding formula 


  Popular schools allocated funds based on how many pupils they attract. Popular schools can afford better teachers and facilities.

  Unpopular schools lose income so have worse facilities and attract less pupils leading to further reduction of funding.
• Gewirtz 


  By increasing parental choice, marketisation advantages m/c parents as they have economic and cultural capital to put them in a better position to choose a good school.

  Privileged skilled choosers.

  Disconnected local choosers - mostly w/c whose choices are limited by economic and cultural capital.

  Semi skilled choosers - mainly w/c who were ambitious for their children. Lacking cultural capital rely on opinions of others.
• Benn


  New Labour paradox.

  Argues that policies contradicted what they aimed to do.

  Eg introduced EMA to help disadvantaged groups go to college but also introduced tuition fees for university.
• Education action zones (EAZ)


  Over 50 areas in the uk identified as poor-received were given additional resources and funding.

  Given funding to run extra classes after school.
• Education maintenance allowance (EMA)


  Payment of £30 a week to students from low income backgrounds to continue with education after school.

  Abolished in 2010 and replaced with bursary.
• Sure start


  Mainly aimed at preschool children and their families in disadvantaged areas. Provides home visits, play centres and financial help for childcare.
• City academies 


  Replaced poorly performing secondary schools or provided new schools where needed. Sponsored by individuals, businesses, faiths, charities and city education authorities.
• National literacy & numeracy strategy

  Special timetable slots for reading and numeracy skills.
• More specialist schools 


  Encouraged a range of skills and gave students the option to choose what vocation / area they wanted to go into.
• Academies 


  All schools encouraged to academise - independent state funded schools that receive funding from the central gov instead of the local education authority.
• Free schools


  Set up by groups of parents, teachers, charities, businesses, unis, trusts, religious or voluntary groups, and funded by central gov. Established as academies, independent of local authorities.

  Business case submitted to be set up.
• Education services industry 


  Private companies provide money to build schools, pay teaching staff, and conduct ofted style inspection practice.
• Public private partnerships 


  Private companies work in partnership with local authorities.

  Private company puts up money to build school and provide some of its services.

  Local authority pays them a management fee normally for 25 years.
• Educational consultancy 


  Teachers and headteachers of outstanding schools quitting their jobs and setting up consultancy companies to help schools prepare for ofted inspections. Charge a lot for this service.
• The cola-isation of schools

  Having branded products in schools. Companies becoming sponsees or endorsing certain initiatives.
• Globalisation of education industry 


  Exam boards - owned by international companies.

  Educational software companies.
• Ball


  Education has become a commodity.

  Major issues with privatising schools:

  Given control to lots of different companies who have their own hidden agenda.

  Turning education into a profit-making organisation.

  Schools seen as business assets rather than as providing education to students.