Educational Policies 4,6 and 10 markers Flashcards
(6 cards)
2019
Outline two reasons why marketisation policies may produce inequality of
educational achievement between social classes (4 marks)
- It can influence parental choice of schools-m/c parents can use their cultural capital to choose the best schools for their children whilst w/c lack cultural capital
- Through cream skimming-successful schools can attract higher achievers who are most likely m/c pupils
2018
Outline two criticisms of schools selecting pupils by ability (4 marks)
- Selection may benefit middle class children-middle class parents can provide tutors and coaching for their children so that they do well in
tests - Tests used to select pupils might be culturally biased-the
language used (elaborated code) may be biased against working-class and minority ethnic groups
2021
Outline two ways in which globalisation may have had an influence on educational
policies in the UK (4 marks)
- increased technology and growth of the Internet offers new ways of accessing information-some schools have policies on home-based learning
- traditional subjects such as STEM / EBacc subjects are prioritised in the curriculum-these subjects equip pupils with the skills required for the
global skills-based economy
2023
Outline three reasons why government education policies aimed at raising educational
achievement among disadvantaged groups may not always succeed (6 marks)
- schools or local authorities may fail to carry out the policies properly, for example they
may misuse the funds provided for their implementation, e.g the Pupil Premium - educational policies alone cannot overcome poverty as a cause of underachievement, this requires far-reaching redistributive economic policies to tackle it
- it is difficult to implement policies-for example if they involve intervening in pupils’
home life to change how parents socialise/motivate children
2017
Applying material from Item A, analyse two effects of increased parental choice on pupils’ experience of education 10 marks
Item A:
Since the 1980s, a major aim of government policy has been to increase parental choice in
education. There is now a wider range of school types, and league tables on school
performance are also publicly available. Increased parental choice has had many effects on pupils’ experience of education
POINT: One effect of increased parental choice on pupils’ experience of education is due to the reform acts such as the 1988 Education Reform act.
EVIDENCE (THE ITEM): The 1988 Education Reform Act was based on principles of making schools more competitive (marketisation) and giving parents choices (parentocracy).
EXPLAIN/Analyse: This Act allowed parents to choose which schools are better for their child’s educational achievement. “League tables on school performance are also publicly available,” as stated in the item. This allows parents to see which schools are performing outstandingly, thus forcing schools to operate like “businesses” who aim to please their customers i.e. the parents, especially the middle class parents.
EVALUATE: However, Ball argues that schools become more selective and form an alliance with some parents, also known as cream-skimming. This is where M/C parents want M/C schools and schools want M/C pupils as they achieve better exam results because they’re easier to teach. This allows schools to maintain their position in the league table and status in the education market.
LINK: However, increase parental choice does improve pupil’s experience in education as league tables are made publicly available for parents to see which school will improve their child’s educational achievement.
POINT: Another effect of increased parental choice on pupils experiences on education is that parents are able to choose between different types of school such as private, state, grammar or academies.
EVIDENCE (THE ITEM):
Item A states that ‘there is now a wider range of school factors’ which has led to the introduction of academies and free schools
EXPLAIN/Analyse: This allows parents to make the decision of choosing which type of school their child will be attending. For example, M/C parents are able to use their cultural capital and their own experiences of school in order to ensure their child receives a higher quality of education and support such as in a private school or grammar school. This may lead to an increase in opportunities for these students and allow them to have high levels of educational achievement due to a better quality of education.
LINK: This highlights how increased parental choice can lead to positive experiences for pupils within schools as they recieve a higher quality of education
EVALUATE: However, Marxists may argue that parental choice has only benefitted m/c pupils and puts the w/c students at a disadvantage to their parents having lower levels of cultural capital. W/C parents are more likely to send their children to a local school (Gerwitz). Therefore w/c students are likely to have a negative experience of education due to less support in schools and the inability to access a higher quality of education.
2020
Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which marketisation policies
have led to schools being run like businesses. (10 marks
- POINT: One way in which marketisation policies have left schools being run like businesses is the focus on performance and competition.
- EVIDENCE: item A states ‘the introduction of marketisaton policies into the state education system means that schools are run like businesses’.
- EXPLAIN/ANALYSE: One significant impact of marketisation policies on schools is the increased emphasis on performance and competition. Schools are now expected to demonstrate their worth through their academic results and the quality of education trhey provide. They are often ranked and compared against other schools through league tables and OFSTED REPORTS. Just like businesses that strive to outperform their competitors, schools are encouraged to improve their performance by introducing measures such as performance-related pay, setting targets, and measuring performance through standardized testing.
LINK: This highlights how markestisation policies have led to schools being run like businesses as they enhance competitive pressures which motivates schools to become more improved and increase their position of league tables.
