1.3.4 Conservative policies (ERA) 1988

Question 1

What is marketisation?

Answer 1

• The process of introducing market forces of consumer choices & competition.
• An education market has been created.
• Reduced the direct state control over education, increasing competition between schools & parentocracy.

Question 2

When did marketisation become a central theme to education?

Answer 2

• Since the 1988 ERA act introduced by the Conservative government of Thatcher.

Question 3

What are ERA policies that encourage marketisation?

Answer 3

• National curriculum.
• Testing & attainment targets.
• Publication of league tables.
• Parental choice.
• Open enrolment.
• Formula funding.
• Grant maintained schools.
• Local management of schools.

Question 4

What is the national curriculum?

Answer 4

• A standardised national curriculum to ensure that schools & pupil concentrate on what they saw as the core & foundational subjects.

Question 5

What are testing & attainment targets?

Answer 5

• Testing attainment targets & SATs were introduced to ensure targets were being met & maintained.

Question 6

What is the publication of league tabled & Ofsted inspection reports?

Answer 6

• Rank each school according to its exam performance.

Question 7

What is parental choice?

Answer 7

• Parents were given the right to choose what school to send children to.
• To facilitate, schools produced prospectuses.

Question 8

What is open enrolment?

Answer 8

• A policy of open enrollment forced all schools to recruit pupil up to their maximum capacity.

Question 8

What is formula funding?

Answer 8

• A system of funding based on enrollments.

Question 9

What are grant maintained schools?

Answer 9

• Schools were encouraged to opt out of LEA control & become self governing funded directly from the government.
• These schools had the right to select pupil through entry exams.

Question 10

What is local management of schools?

Answer 10

• The act increased powers of independent schools.
• Responsibility of 85% of the budget was removed from LEAs & given to head teachers & governors.

Question 11

How do the policies reflect New Right ideologies?

Answer 11

• New Right encourage parentocracy & marketisation.
• Policies such as publication of league tables encourage competition as schools fight for higher spots on the league tables by increasing education standards meaning parents will lean towards selecting the school.

Question 12

What are other policies introduced?

Answer 12

• New qualifications for 16 year olds.
• GSCEs were replaced with O levels & lots of subjects included coursework.
• In 1993 the Higher Education Act allowed Polytecnics to change status & become universities.