1.3.5 ERA evaluation & marketisation policies

Question 1

What is Lawtons (1989) criticisms of the national curriculum?

Answer 1

• It undermined local democratic control of education & independence of the teaching profession by centralising power.
• It neglected important areas of learning such as political understanding.

Question 2

What is MacNeils (1990) criticism of the national curriculum?

Answer 2

• It reflected white anglo-saxon culture & excluded the contribution of minority ethnic groups.
• Accused the national curriculum of being ethnocentric.
• E.g. African, Afro-Caribbean & Asian history is neglected & emphasis is placed on the benefits of British colonialism.

Question 3

What are criticisms of SATs?

Answer 3

• They’ve turned education into a rat race.
• Frequent formal testing of young children can lead to labelling & changes the nature of education in a detrimental way.

Question 4

What are criticisms of league tables?

Answer 4

• Most academics & teachers argue that league tables give a misleading impression of the quality of a school.
• They may not show how much value has been added by the school.
• May result in poorer schools having difficulty to improve as pupil go elsewhere & they may lack the resources to improve performance.

Question 5

What are criticisms of funding formula?

Answer 5

• Popular schools can afford & attract better facilities therefore allowing them to be more selective.
• Unpopular schools loose income & find difficulty the match teacher skills & facilities.

Question 6

What are Ball & Gewirtz (1995) criticisms of parental choice?

Answer 6

• Schools focus on attracting good pupil rather than improving educational standards.
• There was a shift in emphasis away from what schools can do for pupil to what pupil can do for schools.

Question 7

What are the 3 typed of parents identified by Ball & Gerwirtz?

Answer 7

• Privileged skilled choosers.
• Disconnected local choosers.
• Semi skilled choosers

Question 8

What are privileged skilled choosers?

Answer 8

• Mainly professional MC parents able to exploit the market effectively.
• They’re able to use cultural & economic capital.
• Know more about applications, league tables & know contacts.

Question 9

What are semi skilled choosers?

Answer 9

• Mainly WC but have ambitions for their children.
• Often lack cultural capital & lack knowledge of the education market.
• Usually rely on other peoples opinions about schools.
• Often frustrated at their inability to get their children into the schools they wanted.

Question 10

What are disconnected local choosers?

Answer 10

• WC parents.
• Choices are restricted by lack of cultural & economic capital.