policies in education Flashcards
(12 cards)
What did the 1944 Education Act do?
- made secondary school free and compulsory
-introduced the 11+ exam
-introduced the tripartite system
What was the tripartite system? What % of students went to each school?
Split students into one of three schools based on their academic performance
1) Grammar schools (20%) : for those who excelled academically
2) secondary moderns (Aprox 75%): for those who did okay academically
3) technical schools : for those who excelled in vocational courses
What did the 1965 labour government do?
1) made schools comprehensive (universal, equal)
2) removed the 11+ exam
3) insisted that local authorities worked to ensure that schools provided everyone equality of opportunities
What was the 1976 push for vocational education?
- argued that schools do not teach the skills for work
Give three examples of shifts towards vocational qualifications
1) the 1998 New Deal required people on benefits to take courses if they refused to work
2) NVQ’s (1986) and GNVQ’s (1992) were introduced as practical qualifications
3) Youth training schemes (1983) provided job training for secondary school leavers
What was the 1988 Education Reform Act?
- government introduced more vocational courses and work schemes
- linked schools to economy - argued for a higher standard in education
How did schools provide a higher standard of education post 1988 education reform act?
1) Introduction of national curriculum and OFSTED
2) parents could choose which school they sent their child to, promoting competition (league tables, advertising to students)
3) more testing (SAT’s and GCSE’s)
What did Whitty (1998) argue about the introduction of marketisation in education?
Middle class parents had an advantage due to their cultural capital and wealth
What did Ball (1995) argue about the national curriculum?
He called it the “curriculum of the dead” due to its focus on outdated core subjects
What were the cons of the push for vocational education?
1) not as highly regarded by employers
2) Marxist: provides cheap labour and lowers unemployment stats
3) fem: leads women into traditionally feminine professions (eg: teaching, hair dressing)
What are the cons of the 1944 Education Act?
1) culturally biased, favoured the middle class
2) few technical schools
3) students who failed the 11+ were labelled as failures
What are the cons of the 1965 labour government?
1) schools still separated students based on ability (sets/streams)
2) students improvement dependent on area (working class schools performed worse)
