Education Policy & Inequality Flashcards
(17 cards)
Tripartite System
Introduced by the 1944
Education Act to select students
for different school types based
on their ability and results of 11+
exam.
what the tripartiite system consisted off
Grammar schools: mostly MC students who passed the
11+, gives them academic curriculum for non-labour
jobs/higher education.
* Secondary modern schools: mostly WC students who failed
11+, gives them practical curriculum for manual jobs.
* Technical schools: exists in just a few areas, focuses on
preparing for specific career paths.
reality of the tripartite system
This system didn’t promote meritocracy, it reproduced
class inequality- schools became for specific classes
and offered unequal opportunities.
* Gender inequality was reproduced- girls had to
score higher in the 11+ to go to grammar schools.
the comprehensive school system
- Introduced in 1965, aimed to overcome the
tripartite class divide and make education
more meritocratic. - All pupils attend comprehensive schools-
the 11+ and other school types were abolished. - Because the decision was up to local
education authorities to go comprehensive,
there’s still a grammar/secondary divide in
some areas.
The role of comprehensives:
- Functionalists- promotes social integration by bringing
different classes together in 1 school. - They believe comprehensives are more meritocratic as
pupils have longer to develop/show abilities.
However, Ford (1969) found streaming caused little mixing between WC and MC students. - Marxists- comprehensives aren’t meritocratic, as labelling and streaming reproduce class inequality. No 11+ also causes the myth of meritocracy as it looks like chances are more equal, and that failure is the individual’s fault.
Marketisation
Marketisation- introducing market forces
of consumer choice and competition
between suppliers into a state-run area.
* This creates an education market- reduces
state control of education, increasing
competition between schools and parental
choice.
1988 education reform act
made marketisation central to
education policy.
2010 coalition government
- took it further with academies
and free schools.
Parentocracy
David (1993)- marketised education encourages parentocracy, which gives them more choice and raises educational standards/school
diversity.
policies that promote marketisation
Publishing league tables and Ofsted reports (helps parents choose the right school).
* Business sponsorship of schools.
* Open enrolment-successful schools can recruit more pupils.
* Specialist schools- to widen parental choice.
* Formula funding- same funding for every pupil.
* Academies- where schools opt out of local authority control.
* Schools competing to attract pupils.
* Introducing tuition fees for higher education.
* Allowing parents/others to make free schools.
Gerwitz Parental Choice
Marketisation benefits the MC by increasing parental
choice- they can use their economic and cultural capital
to choose good schools.
* Gewirtz- study of 14 high schools found class differences
affect how parents choose schools
Examples of Gerwitz Parental choice
Privileged skilled choosers- MC parents. Use cultural
capital to choose the best schools, network with school
admissions, etc. Use economic capital to move into
catchment areas, afford travel to the best schools, etc.
- Disconnected-local choosers- WC parents with
restricted choices as they have no economic/cultural
capital. Less knowledgeable about choices, admissions &
playing the system. Closest schools (no matter the
quality) were the best option due to travel cost
restrictions. - Semi-skilled choosers- WC parents with ambitions for
their children (unlike local choosers). Lack
economic/cultural capital and understanding the market,
and were frustrated that they couldn’t send their child to
the best school due to this.
new labour and inequality
New Labour from 1997-2010 made policies aiming
to reduce educational inequality:
* Education Action Zones- provided more
resources to deprived areas.
* Aim Higher programme- raise aspirations of
groups who aren’t represented in higher
education.
* Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)-
payments to low-income students to encourage
qualification after 16.
* Increased funding for state education
Benn (2012)- This is a New Labour Paradox,
choosing marketisation even though it causes
inequality, and then making more policies to tackle
inequality. EG- EMA was introduced alongside
increased tuition fees.
myth of parentocracy
Marketisation legitimises inequality as well as making it- by concealing its true causes and justifying its existence.
* Ball- marketisation gives the myth of parentocracy- it looks like all parents have the freedom of choice in selecting schools.
Gewirtz- shows this isn’t true, and that parent’s choice is affected by class, with the MC benefitting most.
(reproduces class inequality in education)
Formula Funding
- Where school’s funding depends on how many pupils they attract.
Popular schools get more funding- better resources, teachers that attracts MC students the school can select to ensure their table position is good. - Unpopular schools get less funding- poorer resources, teachers, etc that means they have to take all pupils and have their table position suffer.
League Tables
Publishing school results ensure those with good results become in demand, and
parents will be more attracted to them.
* Barret (1993)- this encourages cream-skimming (good schools can be selective
and pick high-achieving MC pupils) and silt-shifting (good schools avoid taking less able pupils who would damage their league table position).
* Schools with bad league positions wouldn’t be able to be selective, and therefore take less able WC pupils, who damage their position and make the
school unattractive to MC parents.
