Educational policy Flashcards
(67 cards)
Different types of schools
There are three main sectors of schools within the UK
State schools
Private schools
Alternative provision - studnets hwo canotattend mainstream
State schools
Funding through government
Private schools
Fee paying
Alternative privision
Funding through government
Aim of educational policies
Politicians and educational advisors aim to introduce educational policies which will improve and raise the standards of education for all students regardless of social classs, ethnicity and gender
Educational,policy before 1944
Before 1870:there were no state schools. Children from wealthy families were privately tutored or attended fee paying
Working class children,drew has basic educational provided by churches
1870 education act (Forster Act) established the first schools for children up to the age of 10. Education Focused on religion, literacy and numeracy.
Pre 1979 educational policies
1944 - tripartite system
1960s - comprehensive schools
1944 educational act (Buttle act)- tripartite system
Three part system consisting of
grammar schools (for academic students)
secondary technical schools
Secondary modern school (technical subjects such as wpodwork, cookery
Students sat at 11+ exam to determine which school they would attend 20% of students went to grammer schools, 75% to secondary modern schools and the remainder to secondary technical schools
Set on meritocratic principles everybody sat the same exam. Everybody had equal opportunity’s and if you passed the 11+ exam you went to a grammar school and if you didn’t pass you went to technical.
_it was not meritocratic because everyone sat the same exam. Middle class students depended to have more cultural capital. = they tend to have more likely to pass the 11+ exam
11+ was it fair
Evaluation 1944 education act (butler act)
System wasted talent. Many secondary modern students were not allowed to take O levels, so left school at 15 with no qualifications
Social classs divide remained.
2/3 of boys from middle class backgrounds attended the grammer schools. Whilst only 1/4 of working class boys attended the grammer schools
Comprehensive schools - students do not take entrance exam - 1960s
Everyon had again equal opportunity to go to the same school. Unfortunately processes within school such s setting and streaming teacher labelling ment that their was a reproduction of again class inequality middle class ids tend to be streamed in the higher stream got taught high status knowledge and then had hirer achievement compared to the children in the low stream. And. Lower class.
Single for, of state secondary education for all
Students from all backgrounds and abilities would be offered the same opportunities to obtain qualifications and training.
Evaluation of comprehensive system
Aim was to reduce social classs differences in education, but it didn’t work. Many would argue that it didn’t support at the top or bottom.
Myth of meritocracy.- Marxists Althusser argues that comprehensive schools stil support reproduce classs inequality through setting and streaming, where working-class students are often placed in. Lowers ets.
The hidden curriculum may still promote the still promote ruling class values.
Ruling class values - transited through the education system to maintain th existing class class structure and capitalist system t
1979-1997 conservative policies
1988- education reform act
1.grant maintained schools
2. Formula funding
3. Open enrolment
4. National curricular
5. League tables
6. Ofsted
Grant maintained schools
State schools were allowed to opt out if local authority control if sufficient numbers of parent agreed.
Funded directly from government. So had control over how to spend its money.
Aim was to allow schools to specialise in certain subjects
Also to allow parents choice to encourage schools to compete for students
Evaluation of grant maintained schools
This was the start of marketisation of schools as it was encouraging schools to promote themselves to compete for students.
Formula funding
New system of funding, which was based on the number of enrolments
Successful schools would attract more students so receive more funding. Whilst a underperforming schools would loose funding and therefore be encourages to improve
Evaluation of formula funding
Marketisation policy which encourages schools to compete
Open enrolment
Parents were given the right to send their children to the schools of their choice.
The aim was to encourage schools to compete and improve their results.
Evaluation of open enrolment
Middle class students and parents benefited from this system as they were the ones who could do the research to find the best schools.
New right praise open enrolment as it allows parent to choose what school they think will be best for their children - individual needs
- Schools that perform badly might loose students
- reflects consumer choice relenting new right and neoliberal view of education - Causing pressure to improve
-promotes accoutbity as schools must attract and retain students
National curriculam
Government told teachers in England and Wales what to teach
Key stage tests at 17,11,14 to assess parts of the national curriculum. But also to assses teachers and students.
Evaluation of national curriculam
Ensured that everyone was getting the same curriculam.
League tables
In 1992 schools were required to publish their key stage, GCSE and A level results.
Local and national league tables were based on these results
They were intended to provide parents with information they needed to make an informed choice of schools and to encourage competition between schools
Evaluation of league tables
A good measure for parents to use when judging schools.
Ofsted
Introduction of Ofsted meant that schools could be monitored and assessed.
Parents could then use this information to decide if the school was good
Ofsted was an independent body who were also to make a judgement about a school and repost back to government.
