polices of selection

Question 1

1944 Education Act (tripartite system)

Answer 1

• established three types of secondary school
• children were allocated to the schools by an IQ test known as 11+, this was based on the belief that the level of ability was fixed (determine by inheritance)

1. grammar - top 15-20% mostly upper and MC, provided academic education
2. technical - vocational education, prepared for manual working
3. secondary modern - most children went here, basic education for WC

Question 2

criticisms of the 1944 Eduction Act

Answer 2

• pupils intelligence was not fixed at 11, late developers missed out
• Marxists: unfairly disadvantaged those from WC homes, MC have more cultural capital for exams —> reproduce class inequality
• those at secondary moderns were labelled as failures —> damage self esteem + opportunity

Question 3

comprehensive schools

Answer 3

• children in most areas regardless of their ability, generally transfer to the same type of school at 11.
• no selection by examination and mixed ability classes.

Question 4

advantages of comprehensive schools

Answer 4

• reduced self fulfilling prophecy
• more get better qualifications (opportunity)
• social mixing

Question 5

disadvantages of comprehensive schools

Answer 5

Schools cherry picking, Tough and brooks argue schools select children from better-off, more educated backgrounds by discouraging parents from applying from low-achieving background eh expensive uniform, school literature hard to understand

Question 6

selection police’s since the 1988 education act

Answer 6

• 1988 education act introduced open entitlement - parents were allowed to apply for a place in any school in any area —> best schools became over subscribed
• schools admission code states that schools cannot select on the basis of social class
commonly used criteria for selecting (complying with SAC): catchment area, sibling polices, selection by faith, selection by aptitude (in a certain subject)
• Miriam David Parentocracy “rule by parents” power shifts to the parents and customers (parents) can buy education from producers (schools)

Question 7

criticisms of selection police’s since 1988

Answer 7

• Ball myth of parentocracy, middle class children have more effective choice compared to working class knowing better how to work selection system

Question 8

selection since 2010 - pupil premium

Answer 8

• pupil premium encourages schools to select disadvantaged pupils on the basis of low household income
• schools selecting these pupils get an extra £600 per student each year
• one of the only selection polices that reduce inequality

Question 9

Criticism of selection since 2010

Answer 9

Ofsted in 2012 found that funds for pupil premium were being misused, therefore policy not carried out properly

Question 10

Independent schools

Answer 10

• 7% of children attend independent, or fee paying schools - many of these schools will have admissions test but it’s initially based on the parents ability to pay
- most expensive cost in excess of 30k a year in fees
- Functionalist like Davis & Moore would say the education system is meritocratic, anyone can succeed if they put in the hard work thus children attending private schools are able to do so because their parents put in the work.

Question 11

Evaluation of independent schools

Answer 11

Marxists such as Althusser would say schools are part of this ‘ideological state apparatus’, private schools help make sure the Bourgeoisie retain their apex position at the top of society