Policies

• What is the purpose of education policies?

  To ensure education remains a good standard and competitive.
• What are the risk factors that education policies aim to prevent from damaging educational chances?

  Gender, class, and ethnicity.
• What are the three aims of educational policies?

  Economic efficiency, raise educational standards, and meritocracy.
• What are the four types of equality within education?

  1. Equality of access
  2. Equality of circumstance
  3. Equality of participation
  4. Equality of outcome
• What was the main goal of the Education Act 1944 (the Butler Act)?


  To make secondary schools free for all and promote equality in education.
• What were the three aims of the Education Act 1944?


  Meritocratic, effective workforce, and equality of opportunity.
• What was the school leaving age raised to by the Education Act 1944?


  15 years old.
• What was the purpose of the 11+ test introduced by the Education Act 1944?


  To determine what school students would attend based on their perceived ability.
• What percentage of students went to grammar schools after passing the 11+ test?

  20%.
• What is the tripartite system in education?

  A system where students are allocated to schools based on their perceived ability.
• What are the criticisms of the tripartite system?

  • The 11+ was unreliable and culturally biased.
  • Social class divisions remained, limiting meritocracy.
  • Grammar schools had better resources and staff qualifications.
  • It harmed students' mental health due to self-fulfilling prophecies.
• What was the aim of the comprehensive system developed in 1965?

  To overcome class divisions created by the tripartite system and make education more meritocratic.
• What happened to grammar schools and secondary moderns with the introduction of the comprehensive system?

  They were abolished and replaced by comprehensive schools.
• What are the strengths of the comprehensive system?

  • Allows mixing of social classes and ethnicities.
  • Ensures high standards through mixed ability teaching.
  • Provides equality of access and opportunity.
• What are the criticisms of the comprehensive system?

  • Mixed ability teaching may hold back more able students.
  • Large schools may overlook individual talents.
  • Cannot stretch the most able students like grammar schools.
  • Some systems lack bright pupils due to parental choice.
  • Covert selection discourages working-class parents.
  • Setting and streaming can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies.
• What do functionalists believe about the education system?

  They believe it promotes social solidarity and value consensus.
• What do Marxists argue about the education system?

  They argue it cannot overcome wider class inequalities in capitalist society.
• What change occurred in 2014 regarding school admissions?

  Students were allowed to discriminate in favor of disadvantaged pupils.
• What is the main type of selection used in schools?

  Selection by ability and faith.
• What are the arguments for and against selective schooling?

  Arguments for:

  • Benefits high-flyers.

  Arguments against:

  • Less social diversity.
  • No benefit for working-class students.
• What happens when a school is over-subscribed?

  They must follow a certain criterion to prioritize admissions.
• What are the criteria for prioritizing admissions in over-subscribed schools?

  • Looked after children (LACs)
  • Students with older siblings in the school
  • Those living in a catchment area
  • Students with specified faith
• What is meant by 'selection by mortgage'?

  It refers to the advantage middle-class families have in accessing better schools based on their residential area.
• What is covert selection and how does it affect working-class students?

  Covert selection aims to eliminate working-class presence by:

  • Using difficult literature.
  • Requiring expensive uniforms and equipment.
  • Not advertising in working-class areas.
  • Designing complicated admission forms.
  • Requiring letters of recommendation (in faith schools).
• What did Brooks (2007) find about students in schools?


  Students are 'cherry picked'.
• What did Green (2014) find about free schools?


  Free schools 'cherry pick' brighter students.
• What influence did globalisation have on education policies since the 1930s?


  • UK compared its statistics to other countries.
  • Aimed to improve education based on global standards.
• What is the significance of the PISA rankings for the UK?

  It led to moral panics and a search for miracle cures in the education system.
• What are some examples of miracle cure policies in education?


  • National literacy/numeracy strategy (1999-2010)
  • Slimming down of the curriculum (2010)
  • Raising academy requirements for teachers
  • Master teachers in all state schools
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of using global data in education?

  Strengths:

  • Shows if spending matches achievement.
  • Helps understand effective practices.
  • Establishes benchmark standards.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • May not reflect true educational quality.
  • Well-being and culture may be undervalued.
  • Can lead to damaging policy changes.
• What is the New Right view of education?


  • Focuses on getting able students into important jobs.
  • Believes schools should operate like businesses.
  • Argues local authorities do not meet national needs.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the New Right view of education?

  Strengths:

  • Schools can prioritize beneficial subjects.
  • Freedom in spending and obtaining sponsorship.
  • Schools must perform well to remain open.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Less equitable regulation.
• What is privatisation in education?


  • Transfer of state services to private companies.
  • Aims to increase service effectiveness.
• What are the two types of privatisation in education?


  1. Endogenous (privatisation in education)
  2. Exogenous (privatisation of education)
• What is endogenous privatisation?

  • Involves schools adopting private sector ideas.
  • May include competition, performance pay, and inspections.
• What is exogenous privatisation?

  • Opening state education to private businesses.
  • Involves management and services previously owned by the state.
• What are the arguments for and against privatisation in education?


  Arguments for:

  • Cost-efficient education.
  • More choice for parents (parentocracy).
  • Profit motivation can drive improvement.

  
  

  Arguments against:

  • Funds diverted to private companies.
  • Companies may favor already successful schools.
  • Risk of schools closing, leaving children without options.
• What are the main features of marketisation in education?

  • Independence for schools.
  • Increased competition among schools.
  • Customer choice in education.
• What are the pros and cons of increasing competition between schools?

  Pros:

  • Schools improve to stay open.

  Cons:

  • Poorly achieving schools may lose students.
• What are the pros and cons of allowing schools to become self-managing?

  Pros:

  • Schools know their students' needs best.

  Cons:

  • Potential for corruption and neglect of student needs.