education policies

• education policies are government plans for what the education system should achieve and how it should be organised
• policies include an understanding of the structure, role,impact and experience of access to education, as well as the impact of globalisation on educational policy
• key aims

  • economic efficiency- improving skills of labour force
  • raising educational standards
  • creating equality of educational opportunity
• Gillborn and Youdell - 4 aspects of educational opportunity
• 4 aspects of educational opportunity-

  • equality of access
  • equality of circumstances
  • equality of participation
  • equality of outcome
• equality of access

  everyone should have the same opportunities to access schools of similar quality without unfair selection
• equality of circumstances

  everyone should start school at the same point in terms of home and material circumstances
• equality of participation

  everyone should have the same chances to participate on an equal footing in the everyday life of schools
• equality of outcome

  everyone should have the same chances of sharing the long term benefits of schooling