New Right

• Neo-liberalism

  Economic policy, less state intervention and privatisation
• Neo-conservatism

  Belief in trad. values in social institutions
• Chubb and Moe

  • Disadvantaged groups have failed to be served by sate education = failed to create equal opportunities
  • State education fails to produce pupils with skills needed for economy
  • Private schools deliver higher quality education answerable to paying consumers
• Market VS The State

  • Effects of state control = too much state control of education > inefficiency, lack of personal initiative > culture of dependency developed = reduced investment in industry
  • One size fits all = state can't meet people's needs > can't meet needs of employers for skilled and motivated employees
  • Lower standards = schools that get poor results are not answerable to consumers > less qualified workforce
• Marketisation

  • Education market = force schools to respond to demands of parents > schools ran like businesses > competing and choice where to send children
  • National curriculum = framework ensuring schools were all teaching same thing, transmitting same values > schools teach subjects that prepare pupils for work = support economic growth
• Education Reform Act 1988

  • Introduced: national curriculum, standardised testing, parental choice and open enrolment
  • Further development: introduced OFSTED, league tables
• Application to contemporary education

  • Standardised testing throughout school
  • Wider range of schools
  • Increased privatisation of education
  • Development of education markets extending from early years to higher education
• Overall weaknesses of NR

  • Marxists = education imposes culture of ruling class not 'national identity'
  • Gerwirtz and Ball = competition between schools benefits middle class > use cultural and economic capital to gain access to more desirable schools
  • Low standards in some state schools = poor funding and socio-economic inequality rather than state control
• Overall strengths of NR

  Marketisation has been dominant approach to education as countries with the most competitive education top the league tables

  Policies have raised standards
• New Right

  Conservative political perspective that incorporates neoliberal economic ideas
• Neo-liberalism

  • Schools ran like businesses made for pupils to compete
  • Government shouldn't provide public services, e.g. education, health, welfare
  • People must meet their own needs through the free market
  • State should create a 'business friendly society' and encourage competition, more privatisation
• Similarities of NR and Functionalism

  • Education should be ran on meritocratic principles of open competition
  • Socialize students into shared values providing sense of national identity
  • Some are naturally talented than others