Coalition Policies 2010 Flashcards

1
Q

What policies did the Conservative Coalition introduce?

A

English Baccalaureate
Changes to academies
Increased tuition fees
Free schools
Inequality policies

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2
Q

What is the English Baccalaureate?

A

Schools had to show what percentage of students achieved A-C in ‘core’ subjects: English literature and language, maths, science, humanities (history or geography), and a language

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3
Q

What is positive about the English Baccalaureate?

A

Encourages schools to focus on important subjects

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4
Q

What is negative about the English Baccalaurate?

A

Head Teachers said this might disinterest less academic students

New Labour made languages optional because students would skip it anyway

Didn’t include RE as a humanity, disadvantaging faith schools

Who says these are the most important subjects?

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5
Q

What changes did the coalition make to academies?

A

All schools were encouraged to become academies, not just failing ones

Gave more schools freedom from local authority control

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6
Q

What is positive about the changes to academies?

A

Gives schools freedom to act in their own interest

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7
Q

What is negative about the changes to academies?

A

Ofsted doesn’t check them as often, meaning standards could drop

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8
Q

What changes did the Coalition make to tuition fees?

A

New Labour introduced tuition fees: £3,290 per year
Coalition tuition fees: £9,000 per year

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9
Q

What is positive about the changes to tuition fees?

A

Allows the government to reclaim some of the costs involved with education

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10
Q

What is negative about the changes to tuition fees?

A

Discourages working class students from going to university (fear of debt)

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11
Q

What are free schools?

A

Swedish policy, allowing anyone (e.g. businesses, parents, faith groups) to set up and run schools how they like with government funding

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12
Q

What is positive about free schools?

A

Improves education standards by giving power to parents

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13
Q

What is negative about free schools?

A

Allen (2010): in Sweden, where 20% of schools are free schools, mainly the middle class benefit from this

Sweden’s international education ranking has declined since free schools

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14
Q

What inequality policies did the coalition introduce?

A

Free Schools Meals - giving cost-free meals to low-income Reception-Year 2 children

Pupil Premium - extra school funding for disadvantaged students (e.g. poverty, disability)

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15
Q

What is positive about the coalition’s inequality policies?

A

Directly benefits the working class and disadvantaged students

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16
Q

What is negative about the coalition’s inequality policies?

A

Ofsted (2012): many schools were not spending Pupil Premium money on their disadvantaged pupils

Stigma around FSMs meant some didn’t use it

17
Q

Which theoretical perspectives would like the coalition’s policies?

A

New Right - goes against ‘one size fits all’ and teaches students skills they need for the business world

Postmodernism - goes against ‘one size fits all’

18
Q

Which theoretical perspectives would not like the coalition’s policies?

A

Marxists - disadvantages the working class