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NEOLIBERALISM & NEW RIGHT PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION - Coggle Diagram
NEOLIBERALISM & NEW RIGHT PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION
NEO-LIBERALISM
Economic doctrine that argues the state shouldn't provide services such as education, health & welfare
based on the idea that the state must not dictate individuals how to dispose their own property and should not try to regulate a free-market economy
therefore governments should encourage competition, privatise state-run businesses and deregulate markets
neoliberals argue the value of education lies in how well it enables the country to compete in the global marketplace
they claim this ca only be achieved if schools become more like businesses, empowering parents and pupils as consumers and using competition between schools to drive up standards
THE NEW RIGHT
Conservative political view that incorporates neoliberal economic ideas
a central belief they hold is that the state cannot meet people's needs and that people are best left to meet their own needs through the free market
for this reason they favour the marketisation of education
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN NEW RIGHT & FUNCTIONALIST VIEWS:
both believe some people are more naturally talented than others
both favour an education system run on meritocratic principles of open competition and one that serves the needs of the economy by preparing young people for work
Both believe that education should socialise pupils Inyo shared values such as competition and instil a sense of national identity
However a key difference with functionalism is that the new right dont believe that he current education system is achieving these goals - the reason for this failiure in their view is that its run by the state
The new right argue hat state education systems take a 'one size fits all' approach, imposing uniformity and disregarding local needs
the local consumers who use the shcools- pupils, parents, employers, have no say
state education systems are therefore unresponsive and insufficient
schools that waste money of get poor results are not answerable to heir consumers
this means lower standards of achievemnt for pupils, a less qualified workforce and a less prosperous economy
The new right solution to these problems is the marketisation of education- creating an education market
they believe competition between schools and empowering consumers will bring greater diversity, choice and efficiency ro schools and increase schools ability to meet he needs of pupils, parents and employers
[CHUBB & MOE] CONSUMER CHOICE
They argue that state-run education in the US had failed because:
it hasn't created equal opportunity & has failed the needs of disadvantaged groups
its inefficient because iy fails to produce pupils with the skills needed by he economy
private schools deliver higher quality education because unlike state schools, they are answerable to paying consumers- parents
They base their arguments on a comparison of achievemnts of 60 000 pupils from low-income families an 1015 state and private schools, parent surveys and case studies of turned-around failing schools
their evidence shows that pupils from low income families do about 5% better in private schools than state schools
based on these findings, they call for an introduction of a market system in state education that would put control in the hands of the consumers (parents & local communities)
hey argued his would allow consumers to shape schools to meet their own needs and improve quality & efficiency
To introduce a market into state education, they propose a system in which each family would be given a voucher to spend on buying education from a school of their choice
this would force schools to become more responsive to parents wishes, since the vouchers would be the schools main source of income
like private businesses, schools would have to compete to attract customers by improving their 'product'
These principles are already in work in the private education sector
In Chubb & Moes view, educational standards would significantly improve by introducing the same market forces into he state sector
2 ROLES FOR THE STATE
Whilst the new right stress the importance of market forces in education, this doesnt mean that see no role at all for the state
1) The state imposes a framework on schools within which they have to compete
e.g by publishing ofsted inspection reports and league tables of schools exam results
this gives parents information which allows them to make a more informed choice between schools
2) the state ensures that schools transmit a shared culture
by imposing a single national curriculum, it seeks to guarantee that schools socialise pupils into a single cultural heritage
The new right believe theat education should affirm the national identity
e.g the curriculum should emphasise Britains positive role in world history and teach British literature
there should also be a christian act of worship in the school etc h day because christianity is Britains main religion
the aim is to interrogate puplsinto a single set of traditions and cultural values
for this reason the new right oppose multicultural education that reflects cultures of different minority groups in Britain
EVALUATION
GERWITZ & BALL both argue that competition between schools benefits the middle class who can use their cultural and economic capital to gain access to more desirable schools
Critics argue that the real cause of low education standards is not state control bu social inequality and inadequate funding of state schools
there is a contradiction between the new rights support for prental choice on the one hand and the state imposing a compulsory national curriculum on all its schools on the other
Marxists argue education doesnt impose a shared national culture as the new right claim, but imposes the culture of a dominant minority ruling class and devalues the culture of working class and minority ethnic groups