Educational Policy

Question 1

Educational Policy – FOR Equality of Opportunity – National Curriculum (1988)

Answer 1

• offers standardised education by creating guidelines for teaching, raising standards
• created equality for opportunity by allowing universal access for key subjects (e.g. Maths, English, Science, History, Geography, arts)
• allowed students from different socioeconomic backgrounds to have same education
• created equality of opportunity through assessment & accountability, standardised national tests, ensuring equal monitoring of all students

Question 2

Educational Policy – FOR Equality of Opportunity – Compensatory Education (Labour 1997)

Answer 2

• Sure Start set up to assist parents-to-be with centres providing services
• EMA financial scheme incentivising students from w/c to stay in education
• £30/week if hours met (income based tiers £30/£20/£10)
• equality of opportunity because funding targeted poorer students

Question 3

Educational Policy – FOR Equality of Opportunity – City Academies (Labour 1997)

Answer 3

• designed to target failing schools in inner-cities
• aimed to improve low income / ethnic minority education
• allowed schools to teach what was most relevant to learners
• funded part by government, part privately, free from LEA control

Question 4

Educational Policy – FOR Equality of Opportunity – Pupil Premium (Coalition)

Answer 4

• provides schools with increased funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state schools
• funding given per eligible pupil (e.g. FSM, looked-after children)
• schools decide how money is spent (targeted interventions, tutoring, support)
• aims to close attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils

Question 5

Educational Policy – AGAINST Equality of Opportunity – Wragg

Question 6

Educational Policy – AGAINST Equality of Opportunity – Gewirtz

Question 7

Educational Policy – AGAINST Equality of Opportunity – Bourdieu

Question 8

Educational Policy – AGAINST Equality of Opportunity – Murray

Question 9

Educational Policy – FOR Raising Standards – Education Reform Act 1988

Answer 9

• introduced League Tables – raised competition between schools/colleges
• created competition to ‘be the best’
• set of rankings based on overall student attainment
• introduced Ofsted – detailed inspections, reports published for parents

Question 10

Educational Policy – FOR Raising Standards – Curriculum 2000

Answer 10

• modular curriculum assessed in modules not single end exam
• A levels split into AS & A2, assessed Jan/June both years
• increased number of w/c students reaching post-16
• flexible structure reduced stress and helped increase standards

Question 11

Educational Policy – FOR Raising Standards – Academisation (Coalition)

Answer 11

• proposal to convert schools into Academies
• Outstanding schools could apply to become Academies
• more freedom over curriculum, staffing and budgets
• removed LEAs; funding direct from central government; MATs share resources

Question 12

Educational Policy – FOR Raising Standards – GCSE & A-Level Reform 2015

Answer 12

• movement to linear course; assessment non-modular by exams at end
• removed AS levels as standalone qualification
• content reviewed and updated; universities greater role
• rigorous testing increased standards

Question 13

Educational Policy – AGAINST Raising Standards – Gewirtz

Question 14

Educational Policy – AGAINST Raising Standards – Bourdieu

Question 15

Educational Policy – AGAINST Raising Standards – Illich

Question 16

Educational Policy – AGAINST Raising Standards – Davis & Moore

Question 17

New Vocationalism (NVQs / GNVQs) – Competition, Diversity & Choice

Answer 17

• aimed to provide young people failing academically with vocational skills needed to avoid unemployment
• YTS (Youth Training Schemes) – offered to NEETs who just left school; one year course which if not accepted would reduce their benefits
• NVQs – on the job training, popular for trades, less favourable than academic qualifications
• GNVQs – training in key sectors eg. health/social care/leisure, consisting of work-based learning and theory (class based)

Question 18

Education Reform Act 1988 – Competition, Diversity & Choice

Question 19

City Academies & Specialist Schools – Competition, Diversity & Choice

Answer 19

• introduced under Tony Blair 2000, offered more choice in education specifically in failing inner city schools
• introduced in failing areas to give parents more choice of where to send children to school
• Diverse/Business Sponsors – academies were partly funded by businesses, charities, faith groups
• this created different educational specialisms and ethos, allowing parents to choose a school that aligned with their preference

Question 20

Academisation & Free Schools – Competition, Diversity & Choice

Answer 20

• initially schools called/graded ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted & could appeal to turn into academy
• removes LEAs (Local Education Authorities) which gives them autonomy over funding and content taught
• free schools – similar to academies, but free from national curriculum
• state funded, set up by parents and community leaders

Question 21

Evaluation – Vocational training does not prepare students for work (Green)

Answer 21

• argued youth trainees in vocational courses under New Vocationalism were being taught basic skills
• these were relevant to unskilled/insecure jobs in the retail sector eg. shelf stacking
• the hidden curriculum of youth training and vocational courses transmit the message that a ‘good attitude’ & discipline is more valuable than useful skills

Question 22

Evaluation – Only the richest in society get ‘real’ choice (Gewirtz)

Question 23

Evaluation – Academies are not really providing diversity (National Education Union)

Answer 23

• academies criticised for only being implemented for financial reasons disguising itself as providing diversity and choice
• academisation is used to limit government funding of state education as removing LEAs gives govt control over funding
• encouraging schools to join MATs (multi academy trust) allow for the removal of individual support staff departments and teachers, saving money

Question 24

Evaluation – Real choice is an ‘illusion’ (Miller)

Answer 24

• choice is an illusion, poor pupils still cannot exercise it as they can’t afford to move areas
• choice created unnecessary competition and faced structural obstacles eg. lack of good local schools, unfair admissions criteria
• if some children couldn’t get in, they’d have an ‘escape route’ of independent schools which mainly benefitted M/C