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educational policy and inequality (2010-2015 - Coalition Government…
educational policy and inequality
1944 - Butler Education Act
influenced by the idea of meritocracy - where status should be achieved through effort and ability
tripartite system:
grammar schools - offered an academic curriculum and access to non-manual jobs and higher education to pupils that passed the 11+ exam
secondary modern - offered a non-acdademic, practical curriculum and access to manual jobs to pupils who failed the 11+
technical schools - only existed in a few areas
rather than promoting meritocracy, the tripartite system reproduced inequality by channelling two classes into different types of schools that offered unequal opportunities
reproduced gender inequality as girls were more likely to pass the 11+ exams
parentocracy
increased parental choice
League Tables
OFSTED
open enrolment
formula funding
tuition fees
power shifts away from the schools to the parents (consumers) which encourages diversity, gives parents more choice and raises standards
marketisation - the process of introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition between suppliers into areas run by the state
reduced direct state control over education
increased competition between schools and parental choice
1988 - Education Reform Act (conservative government under Margaret Thatcher)
Ball and Whitty - marketisation policies reproduce class inequalities
League tables ensure that schools that achieve good results rank higher, making them more in demand due to the attraction of the schools from parents
Bartlett suggests this leads to:
cream skimming - 'good' schools are more selective and choose high achieving middle-class pupils
silt shifting - 'good' schools avoid taking less able pupils
schools with lower rankings are unable to be selective and have to take less able, working-class piupils
schools are funded based on how many pupils they attract through the funding formula
popular schools therefore get more funds and can afford better qualified teachers and facilities
unpopular schools lose income and they fail to attract pupils
Gerwitz found that differences in parents' economic and cultural capital lead to class differences in the choices of secondary schools
privileged-skilled choosers:
professional, middle-class parents who use their capital to gain educational capital for their children
they had the time to research and visit schools and could afford to move their children around the education system
disconnected-local choosers:
working-class parents whose choices are restricted due to their lack of cultural and economic capital
found it difficult to understand admissions procedures and were less confident in dealing with the school
less aware of the choices available to them
distance and costs of travel are major restrictions on their choice of school
semi-skilled choosers:
ambitious working-class parents who become frustrated with their inability to get their children into good schools due to their lack of economic and cultural capital
Ball - myth of parentocracy
2010-2015 - Coalition Government
parents were encouraged to set up free schools
schools were encouraged to leave local authority control and become academies
fragmentation - the comprehensive system is being replaced by a patchwork of diverse provision leading to greater inequality
centralisation of control - role of authorities has reduced
free school meals for anyone in reception, year one and year two
pupil premium - money that schools receive from each pupil from a disadvantaged background
Ball - promoting academies has lead to increased fragmentation and increased centralisation
by 2012, over half of all secondary schools had become academies - this removed the focus on reducing inequality
privatisation involves the transfer of public assets to private companies
1997-2010 - New Labour Government
designating deprived areas as Education Action Zones and providing them with additional resources
Aim Higher Programme raised the aspirations of groups who are under-represented in education
Education Maintenance Allowance - payments to students of low income backgrounds to encourage them to stay in education past 16
City Academies provided failing schools with fresh starts
however, despite introducing EMAs, the New Labour Government raised tuition fees for higher education - the New Labour Paradox
1965 - the Comprehensive School System
Functionalists:
argue that comprehensive schools promote social integration by bringing children of different social classes together in one school
more meritocratic as pupils have a longer period to develop their abilities
aimed to overcome the class divide of the tripartite system and make education more meritocratic
Marxists: argue that comprehensive schools reproduce class inequality through labelling and streaming which deny working-class pupils opportunity
GIST - introduced to reduce gender difference in subject choice
ethnicity
Assimilation policies - focus on the need for minority ethnic backgrounds to assimilate into mainstream British culture
Multicultural Education - aimed to promote the achievement of ethnic minorities by valuing all cultures in the curiculum
minority ethnic groups at risk of underachieving do so due to poverty or racism