Education policy

• 1944- 1965 tripartite system


  Butler’s education act 1944 -created secondary school free for everyone aged up to 15 and introduced three different types of schools, the 11+ deckded what school children attended
• grammar schools


  Intended to teach the most intellectually able 25%
• Secondary technicals


  Teaching mechanical, scientific and engineering skills, only 2-3% of children
• Secondary moderns


  For those who failed the 11+
• evaluation of tripartite system

  The social class divide remained intact, two thirds of grammar school places were taken by middle class pupils. The mainly working class pupils in secondary moderns were effectively labelled failures
• 1965 - 1979 comprehensivisation


  A 1960s attempt by the labour government to overcome the class inequalities of the old tripartite system- all students went to the same school whatever their perceived level of ability.
• Evaluation - comprehensive 


  Social mixing was limited as schools had a catchment area, often dominated by one social class. Streaming in comprehensives benefitted middle class pupils
• 1979 - 1997 marletisation and new vocationalism


  the conservative government, influenced by new right thinking, by creating a market in education, schools would improve and be more responsive to the needs of parents, pupils and buisnes.
• Key policy in tory government- education reform act 1988

  1. Competition between schools was encouraged
  2. all pupils would sit national tests, e.g sats gcse
  3. the national curriculum
  4. leuague tables for exam results
  5. open enrolment - parents could specify a choice of school
  6. formula funding - the amount of money a school recieves based on number of students
  7. an assisted places schemes
• Education reform act 1988 - evaluation

  Constant testing has a damaging, stressfull effect on children, as schools end up teaching untill the test, very few places available in popular schools, so many parents have very little interest in education, schools may not admit low achievers to protect their place on the league table, schools may spend large amounts of money on marketing rather than students
• new vocationalism


  The conservative government felt that schools were failing to teach skills wanted by employees in the workplace. A number of schemes were developed that aimed to reduce youth unemployment, increase young peoples skill levels and make them more aware of the world of work, policies YTS, NVQs, GNVQs, modern apprenticeships
• Evaluation of new vocationalism

  It simply provided cheap labour for employees, it undermined the bargain power of unions, it reduced politcally embarrassing youth employment statistic, CHON argued that the real purpose was to create good attitudes to work rather than actual skills job, young people accept a low paying jobs.
• 1997-2010 new labour goverment


  many of the marketisation policies begun by the conservatives were continues and developed, however, it also introduced a number of social democratic compensatory policies, which sought the disadvantages by the poorer students
• maketisation policies


  ofsted inspections of schools, including the naming and shaming of poorer schools and direct intervention by the govermen. Academic programme was established. Sponsers has a say in how the school is run and what the curriculm is on offer. Specialist schools which specialised in particular subjects. the privatization of education; technology colleges allowed buisnesses to set up and run state schools
• compensatory school policies


  free school meals for children from poor backgrounds

  setting up education action zones to tackle problems in areas of high social deprivation

  sure start childrens centres in disadvantages areas

  education maintence advanatges

  guarenteed 15 hours free nursing

  literacy and numeracy house in education
• evaluation - new labour

  new right influence on goverment has meant that competition and choice have continued to be seen as key to improve inneducation

  whitty and Tomilson - marketisation has allowed middle class children to manipulate markets in education to benefit their children

  Mcknight et al - class inequalities in higher education remained
• conservative and liberal coalition goverment - 2010 - 2015


  mainly the education act 2011, an emphasis on traditional subjects and examinations, further develop marketization, such as new style academies and free school, one new compensatory policy
• marketization policies


  new style academies, all state schools were able to become independant academis, free from local authority controll, free school meals are all ability state funded independant schools, set up in response to what local people say they want and need in order to improve education for children in their community. Both were presented as ways of improving standards and meeting parents wishes. tutition fees were increased to 9000 a yearand universities could expand and recruit students
• compensatory policy


  the pupil premium is extra money per head allocated for pupils who come from poorer homes, with the aim of reducing social inequalities in education. However the abolishment of univeristy maintenance grants, the cutting of funding to sure start childrens centres may have negative impact on poorer students
• evaluation coalition goverment


  free school system is expensive and takes funds away from other schools, myth of parentocracy. Ball et al argue parental choice follows a patern related to social class differences and contributes to the reporduction of the social class inequalities in education; because of their higher levels of income, education and social and cultural capital, middle class parents know more about how to work the system to get to the shcool they want; some of the highest preforming schools carru out covert selection
• 2015 - present conservative goverment


  in may 2018 the goverment announced that 50 million would be set aside for the expanision of grammar schools, clamimg this would increase parental choice