educational policy & inequality

Question 1

what are education policies?

Answer 1

plans and stratergies for education introduced by the government

Question 2

what are the 2 aims of all education policies?

Answer 2

• raise the quality and standard of education in the UK
• reduce the inequalities for grades and life chances

Question 3

who was education available to before the industrial revolution in the late 19th century?

Answer 3

formal education was provided by expensive fee paying schools for boys from wealthy backgrounds

Question 4

the foster education act 1870

Answer 4

created primary schools in Britain.
main principle was to ensure a better educated workforce.
education was focused on reading, writing, arithmetic and religion

Question 5

the butler act 1944

Answer 5

education began to be shaped by idea of meritocracy (achieved status rather than ascribed).
It created secondary schools and the tripartite system.

Question 6

what was the triparte system and how were students allocated?

Answer 6

chidren were allocated based on aptitudes and abilities through the 11+ exam.
grammar schools, secondary modern, technical schools.

Question 7

grammar schools

Answer 7

• children who passed 11+
• the curriculum granted access to better higher education and job prospects
• had best teachers, facilities, extra-curriculars
• focused on traditionl academic subjects

Question 8

secondary moderns

Answer 8

• children who failed 11+, about 3/4 students went here
• offered more vocational curriculum ideally suited to more manual w/c jobs
• limited opportunities and subjects for less academically able students
• no uniform, could leave at 15 without GCSEs

Question 9

technical schools

Answer 9

• curriculum focused on scientific, mechanical, and engineering skills
• very few technical schools built
• only 2 or 3% children attended

Question 10

briefly explain why the 11+ was not a fair way of testing ability and intelligence
- include ideas of social class, ethnicity and gender

Answer 10

wasn’t fair for non-white w/c girls.
* m/c students could afford private tuition meaning they reached top schools and top jobs
* culturally biased
* girls needed more marks to be able to pass so less wereable to attend grammar schools

Question 11

briefly explain why the tripartite system was unfair

Answer 11

it was based on the myth of meritocracy that legitamised inequalities (appeared fair on surface by everyone taking same test)
- served to reproduce class inequality and discrimated against girls, by channelling 2 social classes into 2 different types of schools that offered unequal opportunities and life chances

Question 12

comprehensive system 1965
-labour gov

Answer 12

• aimed to overcome class divide of the tripatite system and make education more meritocratic by removing the 11+ to replace it with comprehensive schools decided by Educainal Authorities (LEAs)
• comprehensive schols were mixed abilities determined by geographical catchment areas

Question 13

describe the differences faced by being in an expensive or cheaper catchment area

Answer 13

expensive:
-best schools and teachers
-more m/c white students attending better schools due to parents economic and cultural capital

cheaper:
-worst schools and teachers with high levels of underachievement
-more w/c students attending worse schools as parents couldn’t afford houses in expensive catchments

Question 14

briefly explain why the comprehensive system reproduced class ineqaulities and was still based upon the myth of meritocracy

Answer 14

due to catchment areas and setting/streaming recreating the tripartite system under 1 roof

sets and streams were based upon ability, but most m/c pupils were placed in higher sets/streams and w/c in lower didn’t therefore have same acces to best teachers and grades.

Question 15

explain the difference between setting and streaming

Answer 15

setting: divide students based on ability in that 1 certain subject
streaming: divides students based on their general ability = same set for all subjects

Question 16

give 3 positives of the tripartite system

Answer 16

• different ability students get support they need for their ability
• resources can be better targeted
• more able to not get held back

Question 17

give 3 positives of the comprehensive system

Answer 17

• one education for all with no enterance exam = fairness
• brings together students from different social classes
• larger schools are cheaper to run

Question 18

education reform act 1988
-cosnervative gov Thatcher introduced it

Answer 18

increased competition between schools to increase standards.
it established the principle of marketisation into education, so schools compete for pupils because funding is based on funding formula.
Introduced the national curriculum so schoosl could easily by compared

Question 19

briefly explain the marketisation policy of formula funding and the impact of schools using it

Answer 19

funding is determined by number of students school has, they get £5000 per student.

schools work harder to attract more students which leads to more money so they can further improve, which gives parents more choice as better educated on what each one involves

Question 20

briefly explain the marketisation policy of league tables and the impact of schools using it

Answer 20

schools performace data is published allowing parents to compare schools which creates competition by a ‘teaching to the test culture’ that priortises results

schools work harder to achieve better results leading to more students = more money to facilitate to students needs/wants

Question 21

briefly explain the marketisation policy of Ofsted and the impact of schools using it

Answer 21

inspect and regulate schools to meet certain quality standards, which gave public acced to school ratings

schools become more regulated and better funded as they will attract more students which means more money for a better rating = competition

Question 22

briefly explain the impact of schools using the marketisation policy of academies

Answer 22

allows schools to have more freedom of choice in the way that they run their school and will attract more students if they have better suited aspects to that student other than parents (timings of the day)

Question 23

briefly explain the marketisation policy of the national curriculum and the impact of schools using it

Answer 23

all state schools follow same curriculum through regular assessments
means schools all operate on the same curriculum, creating equality of opportunities (meritocratic) for all students.

Question 24

briefly explain the marketisation policy of specialist schools and the impact of schools using it

Answer 24

schools given extra funding to spend on improving facilities for these certain topic areas

gave parents and children more choice by influencing them with their better accomodating facilities through extra funding

Question 25

what did David argue has come from increased competition and choice for parents

Answer 25

led to parentocracy due to schools being increasingly run like businesses meaning they have the incentive to raise standards due to maretisation. But this also reproduces and increases inequalities

Question 26

what is the positive of the policy of publishing exam results and ranking schools in league tables in the ERA?

Answer 26

a huge emphasis is placed on ensuring pupils get the best grades possible

Question 27

what is a negative of the policy of publishing exam results and ranking schools in league tables in the ERA, according to Bartlett and Le Grand?

Answer 27

leads to schools cream skimming and silt shifting students

Question 28

how is cream skimming following the myth of meritocracy?

Answer 28

schools that do well in league tables and ofsted reports have parents fighting over places at these schools. Therefore these schools can be selective over which pupils they take as they are over-subscribed so they usually recruit m/c high achieving pupils = m/c students get the best education

Question 29

how is silt-shifting following the myth of meritocracy?

Answer 29

schools that do badly in league tables and ofsted enter a spiral of decline. They lose potenital pupils to better schools so they end up taking less able pupils, so their results end up being poor so parents then perceive these as sink schools. Leads to w/c pupils getting a poor education

Question 30

formula funding

Answer 30

school funding is now based upon how many pupils they attract (£5000 per pupil)

Question 31

according to Whitty what does he believe formula funding leads to for popular and unpopular schools?

Answer 31

popular schools get more funds, so they can afford better resources and better qualified teachers meaning they attract m/c students so they can then cream skim more able pupils and avoid taking less able who may damage schools results = silt shifting. however unpopular schools get less funding and cannot compete due to less disposable income = spiral of decline continues

Question 32

what are the 3 types of parents Gewirtz identifies as part of parentocracy?

Answer 32

- privileged skilled choosers - disconnected local choosers - semi skilled choosers

Question 33

What is parentocracy according to Ball?

Answer 33

It is the result of marketisation. He says parentocracy is only a myth that makes parents think they all have the same choices when Gerwitz proves this is not true as m/c parents have the expertise to choose best schools

Question 34

privileged skilled choosers -Gewirtz

Answer 34

- Professional middle-class parents who use their cultural capital (e.g. being well educated) to take advantage of choices available. - They knew the importance of putting a particular school as first choice due to their cultural capital - Economic capital meant travel costs or moving house for catchment are purposes was not an issue.

Question 35

disconected-local choosers -Gewirtz

Answer 35

- W/c parents restricted by lack of economic/cultural capital. - Distance and travel costs were an issue and restricted them. - They placed little importance on league tables and long term ambitions from the school - They did not know how to manipulate the system to their advantage or felt confident with choices.

Question 36

semi-skilled choosers -Gewirtz

Answer 36

- Mainly working-class but more ambitious for their children. - Felt frustrated at their inability as they relied on others opinions and did not understand the education market.

Question 37

What does gewirtz conclude about parentocracy and marketisation?

Answer 37

m/c parents process cultural and economic capital and have more choice than w/c parents because marketisation reproduces and legitimates inequality

Question 38

what was the main aim of the policies introduced by the new labour government (1997-2010)

Answer 38

aimed at supporting disadvantaged groups by combining marketisation with social democratic principles to reduce inequality

Question 39

briefly explain the New Labour policy of Education Action Zones and how this reduced inequality

Answer 39

Clusters of schools designed to raise school standards in poorly performing areas. They got given additional funds each year and were in partnerships with local education authorities and local businesses and organisationations (churches, football clubs). Reduced by: Allows w/c to have resources like those in better performing schools, gives them access to local opportunities of aprenticeships and mentors that act as role models

Question 40

briefly explain the New Labour policy of Aim Higher and how this reduced inequality

Answer 40

Initatives that widened participation in HE for those who's family hadn't gone to uni and other minority and disabled groups. Guest speakers, free residential taster sessions reduced by: Giving them motivation through role models and confidence to see they aren't mariginalised. Gave them a taste of opportunities they could have without the commitment of money and time at uni

Question 41

briefly explain the New Labour policy of Educational Maintenance Allowance and how this reduced inequality

Answer 41

payments to students (£30 a week if income below £30810) from low income backgrounds to encourage them to stay in post 16. Aim of keeping their attendance up to get this to use on transport and school equipment reduced: allows w/c to not have material deprivation and is an incentive for school engagement. Breaks the cycle of inequality and spiral of decline.

Question 42

briefly explain the New Labour policy of National Literacy Stratergy and how this reduced inequality

Answer 42

introduced literacy and numeracy hours every day in primary schools. reduced: Gave them opportunities by creating having an elaborated vocab. All students had same opp's of learning as tagreted w/c students who's parents are culturally deprived and couldn't engage in helping with these skills. Increased general literacy and numeracy skills of population