Social Policy Flashcards
(32 cards)
What did the 1944 Education Act introduce?
The tripartite system (grammar, secondary modern, technical schools) and compulsory state education up to age 14.
What was the 11+ exam designed to measure?
Supposedly innate ability, used to sort students into different types of secondary school.
One criticism of the 1944 Education Act’s tripartite system?
It reinforced class divisions and labeled many working-class children as failures.
Why did feminists criticize the tripartite system?
Girls needed higher marks than boys to access grammar schools, making the system unequal and unmeritocratic.
What did the 1965 Comprehensive Education Act abolish?
Selection by ability at age 11; aimed to provide equal opportunity through mixed-ability schools.
What was a strength of comprehensive schools?
Recognized that children develop at different rates and allowed more flexibility over time.
What policy introduced league tables, SATs, and the national curriculum?
1988 Education Reform Act under the New Right.
What is marketisation in education?
The introduction of market principles like competition and choice into the education system.
What is ‘parentocracy’?
The idea that parental choice determines which schools children attend, a key New Right goal.
What is the funding formula and how does it work?
Schools receive money based on student numbers, leading to a cycle of success for popular schools.
What was a goal of New Labour’s specialist schools policy?
To raise standards through subject-specific expertise and increase school diversity.
What were Sure Start Centres designed to address?
Early childhood inequalities, especially between working-class and middle-class children.
What was the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA)?
Weekly payments (£10–£30) to encourage 16–19 year olds to stay in education.
What major change did the Conservative-led coalition make to university tuition fees?
They increased tuition fees up to £9,000 per year.
What is the Pupil Premium?
Additional funding to schools for students from disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g. free school meals).
Why were GCSEs and A-levels reformed in 2016?
To make them more rigorous and reduce coursework, aiming for international competitiveness.
What was the main feature of the 1944 Education Act, and how did it divide education?
The 1944 Education Act introduced a tripartite system of secondary education, dividing students into three types of schools: grammar schools, secondary modern schools, and technical schools. Children would sit an 11+ exam at age 11, which was intended to measure their innate ability (IQ). Those who passed went to grammar schools (about 20% of students), while others went to secondary modern or technical schools. The Act aimed to provide compulsory education up to age 14 and promised equal status for all three school types, although the system was criticized for being unequal.
What were the aims behind the 1944 Education Act?
The 1944 Education Act was part of the post-World War II effort to rebuild the country. It aimed to address the “five evils” outlined in the Beveridge Report (e.g., poverty, ignorance, etc.). In terms of education, the policy focused on reducing ignorance and eliminating inequality in state education. The 11+ exam was designed to be a scientific method of identifying a child’s natural ability and ensuring that children from all classes could access education appropriate for their abilities.
What criticisms were made against the 1944 Education Act’s tripartite system?
One criticism of the tripartite system was that secondary modern and technical school students were often labeled as failures, limiting their opportunities. Many of these students were not allowed to sit for formal qualifications, which hindered their prospects. Additionally, feminists criticized the system because it required girls to achieve higher marks than boys to access grammar schools, which was seen as unequal and unfair.
What were the key features of the 1965 Comprehensive Education Act and its objectives?
The 1965 Comprehensive Education Act abolished the selection process at age 11 and aimed to provide an equal education to all children, regardless of class, ethnicity, gender, or ability. This Act introduced comprehensive schools, which grouped students of all abilities together, in contrast to the tripartite system. The policy aimed to overcome the failures of the tripartite system by fostering social mobility and ensuring that all students had the same opportunities.
What were the strengths of the Comprehensive Education Act?
Strengths:
Allowed for late bloomers to develop at their own pace and enter higher academic streams as they matured.
It gave equal access to educational opportunities for all students, regardless of background or class.
What were the weaknesses of the Comprehensive Education Act?
Weaknesses:
Despite the shift to comprehensive schools, private schools still catered to the wealthy (about 7% of students), maintaining a divide.
Some argued that comprehensive schools had issues with discipline and were not adequately preparing students for work.
Marxists criticized the comprehensive system for being a tool of capitalist interests, as it did not fully solve issues of inequality.
What were the key features of the 1988 Education Reform Act and the principle of marketization?
The 1988 Education Reform Act introduced marketization into education, making schools operate more like businesses. Key features included:
The introduction of the national curriculum for standardized education.
The creation of league tables to compare school performance and drive competition.
The establishment of Ofsted to inspect and report on school standards.
Open enrollment, allowing parents to choose which schools their children attended.
The aim of these changes was to increase competition between schools, thereby driving up standards. Schools were incentivized to improve their performance to attract more students (and thus more funding).
How did marketization impact students and schools?
Marketization led to improved exam results in some cases due to increased competition. For example, between 1988 and 1997, A-C* GCSE grades improved significantly. However, there were several criticisms:
Social inequality persisted, as gender, class, and ethnic disparities in exam results remained.
Constant testing created significant stress for students.
Resources were often spent on marketing and branding (e.g., pens, promotional materials) rather than on improving actual educational quality.
