Education Reform Act Flashcards
What were the key aims of the Education Reform Act (ERA) of 1988?
The key aims of the ERA were marketisation, parentocracy, improving efficiency in schools, and preparing children with work skills for economic growth.
Define marketisation in the context of the ERA of 1988.
Marketisation aimed to make schools compete for government funding by turning education into a market. Schools excelling in performance received more funding, while underperforming ones faced closure or takeover.
What is parentocracy as per the Education Reform Act of 1988?
Parentocracy emphasized parental choice in education. Parents’ decisions affected school budgets, promoting competition among schools for students and funding.
How did the ERA intend to enhance school efficiency?
Making schools competitive was expected to naturally improve efficiency, reducing the education budget.
What was the ERA’s goal regarding equipping children for work?
The Act aimed to ensure that education provided children with skills necessary for work, contributing to economic growth.
What major components did the Education Reform Act introduce?
It introduced the National Curriculum, Open Enrolment, National Testing (SATs and GCSEs), Ofsted inspections, league tables, and a funding formula based on pupil numbers.
What is the purpose of Open Enrolment in the context of the ERA?
Open Enrolment allowed parents to select multiple schools for their children, encouraging them to explore and choose schools based on preference rather than just proximity.
How did the introduction of league tables influence parental decision-making in education?
League tables provided performance data that helped parents make informed decisions about which schools to choose for their children, focusing on the schools’ academic achievements.
What was the role of Ofsted in the Education Reform Act, and how did it affect schools?
Ofsted, established in 1988, inspected and graded schools. Underperforming schools, based on inspection reports, faced closure, impacting their reputations and funding.
How did the funding formula change under the ERA, and what impact did it have on schools?
Funding for schools became dependent on pupil enrollment, incentivizing schools to attract more students for increased funding, leading to the expansion of popular schools and closure of less-preferred ones.
What were the concerns associated with marketisation in education, particularly for students from lower social class backgrounds?
Marketisation potentially disadvantaged students from lower social class backgrounds, as wealthier parents could afford better opportunities, including travel costs to access “better” schools, widening educational inequalities.
According to Sharon Gerwitz’s categorization, what differentiated the types of parents regarding school choice?
Gerwitz identified privileged-skilled choosers, disconnected local choosers, and semi-skilled choosers based on their economic and cultural capital, affecting their ability to navigate the education system and exercise school choice.
How did the competition among schools affect the distribution of students across institutions?
Schools tended to attract and select better-performing students, perpetuating inequalities as higher-performing schools gained more preferences, while struggling schools faced declining enrollments.
Describe the concept of “sink schools” and how they relate to the competitive nature of education post-ERA.
“Sink schools” referred to institutions at the bottom of preferences, receiving fewer enrolments and resources, leading to a cycle of deterioration and struggle due to lack of student interest.
How did the policies linked to marketisation potentially contribute to the inequalities in educational opportunities?
Marketisation policies sometimes disadvantaged students from lower social class backgrounds, as wealthier parents had better access to resources, including travel costs, to choose “better” schools, amplifying educational disparities.
