Topic 6- Educational Policy and Inequality

Question 1

what year did the coalition government come into place

Answer 1

2010

Question 2

what political party is the coalition government?

2 parties

Answer 2

conservatives and liberal democrats

Question 3

what are 4 key things coalition government implicated in education?

Answer 3

free schools
linear a levels
pupil premium
globalisation

Question 4

explain free schools

Answer 4

ran by parents without a curriculum to increase choice in disdvantaged areas

Question 5

explain linear a levels

Answer 5

exams would be at the end of the course and coursework was removed from the majority of subjects

Question 6

explain pupil premium

Answer 6

schools with children receiving free school meals get extra funding to improve educational experiences

Question 7

explain globalisation

Answer 7

to increase standards and competition the education system competed with the whole world to improve it

Question 8

who was the education secretary who made significant changes to a levels?

Answer 8

michael gove

Question 9

which education change was made in 1988?

Answer 9

the educational reform act

Question 10

what year did the educational reform act come into place?

Answer 10

1988

Question 11

who was the prime minister when the ERA was introduced?

Answer 11

margaret thatcher

Question 12

define cultural capital

Answer 12

the knowledge, attitudes and abilities of the middle class

Question 13

who was the prime minister when New Labour were in government?

Answer 13

Tony Blair

Question 14

what happened between 1997 and 2010?

Answer 14

new labour

Question 15

give 3 examples of interventionist policies

Answer 15

class size
maths and english
university

Question 16

what did New Labour do to class sizes?

Answer 16

reduced them to a max of 30 pupils

Question 17

what did New Labour say about maths and english

Answer 17

in schools they should have a maths and a literacy hour every day

Question 18

what did New Labour do about gender equality?

2 actions

Answer 18

• gave schools extra money to use for boys to improve their writing
• encouraged girls to take subjects they were interested in like sciences

Question 19

name the 5 strategies New Labour implicated to reduce social class inequality

Answer 19

sure start
EMA
EAZ
FSM
academies

Question 20

what is sure start?

Answer 20

free childcare age 0-2
early education for some 3-4

Question 21

what is EMA

Answer 21

education maintenance areas
some sixth formers got £30 a week for good attendance

Question 22

what is EAZ

Answer 22

education action zones
the government gave more money to disadvantaged areas

Question 23

what is FSM

Answer 23

free school meals for poorer families

Question 24

what are academies

Answer 24

schools that partner with local business sponsors

Question 25

what is New Labours paradox?

Answer 25

they said they wanted to decrease inequality but actually increased it in some of the strategies they implicated

Question 26

give an example of proof of new Labours paradox

Answer 26

encouraging going to university and increasing participation did decrease inequality but putting a price on it created a barrier for those with economical struggles creating a divide

Question 27

what year was the tripartite put into place?

Answer 27

1944

Question 28

what is the act called that bought in the tripartite system?

Answer 28

1944 education act

Question 29

what 3 schools are in the tripartite system?

Answer 29

grammar schools secondary modern schools technical schools

Question 30

features of a grammar school | 4

Answer 30

* academic curriculum * access to non manual jobs and higher education * needed to pass the 11+ * mainly middle class

Question 31

features of a secondary modern school | 4

Answer 31

* non academic 'practical' curriculum * access to manual work * for pupils who didn't pass 11+ * mainly working class

Question 32

what did the tripartite reproduce? | 2

Answer 32

* class inequality * gender inequality

Question 33

what did the tripartite system legitimate?

Answer 33

inequality

Question 34

how did the tripartite system legitimate inequality?

Answer 34

through the ideology that ability is inborn so children can be judged at a young age.

Question 35

what year was comprehensive schools introduced?

Answer 35

1965

Question 36

what was the aim of comprehensive schools?

Answer 36

to make education more meritocratic

Question 37

why were some grammar schools kept?

Answer 37

comprehensive schools were optional so some areas kept them.

Question 38

what is the marxist view of comprehensives?

Answer 38

* not meritocratic * reproduces class inequality due to labelling and streaming

Question 39

what is the functionalist view on comprehensives?

Answer 39

* more meritocatic as it gives pupils a longer time to show their abilities

Question 40

how has marketisation created an 'education market' | 2

Answer 40

* reducing direct state control over education * increasing competition between school and parents choice over them

Question 41

what government policy made marketisation?

Answer 41

the 1988 education reform act

Question 42

what policies were introduced to promote marketisation? | 9

Answer 42

* publication of league tables * businesses sponsoring schools * open enrolment * specialist schools * formula funding * schools being allowed to opt out of local authority control- become academies * schools competing to attract pupils * tuition fees for higher education * allowing parents to set up free schools

Question 43

what did miriam david 1993 describe marketisation as?

Answer 43

parentocracy- power shifts from producers and goes to consumers (parents)

Question 44

what is cream skimming?

Answer 44

schools can be more selective so choose their customers and recruit high achievers so they can gain advantage

Question 45

what is silt shifting?

Answer 45

schools avoid taking less able students who are likely to get poor results so it doens't damage the league table position

Question 46

what is the funding formula?

Answer 46

the more pupils they attract the more they get the more funding they get so can fund higher quality teachers. leaves less popular schools with less money overall.

Question 47

what are priveleged skilled choosers?

Answer 47

- mainly professional middle-class parents who can use their cultural and economic capital to gain an educational one. - possessed culture capital and had knowledge of schools and how they work - economic capital meant they could afford for their children to go to the best school whether that be travelling further or paying for trips.

Question 48

what are disconnected local choosers?

Answer 48

- working class parents that are restricted by lack of cultural and economic capital - found it difficult to understand school procedures and less aware of choices. - prioritised safety and quality of the school over league tables and long term ambition - distance was a restriction of choice. funds are limited so nearest school was usually the best

Question 49

what are semi skilled choosers?

Answer 49

- mainly working class but were ambitious for their children. still lacked cultural capital and misunderstood education market. - frustrated with inability to get their children at the school they want

Question 50

what are the 3 types of parents that gewirtz found after a study in London?

Answer 50

semi skilled choosers priveliged skilled choosers disconnected local choosers

Question 51

what is the myth of parentocracy?

Answer 51

- ball believes marketisation only gives an appearance of parentocracy and that it doesn’t actually exist. - it makes it appear that parents have the same freedom to send their children to what school they want. - Gewirtz shows that middle class parents are better able to take advantage of the choices available.

Question 52

what is fragmentation?

Answer 52

comprehensive system is being replaced by a patchwork of diverse provision a lot involving private providers which leads to greater inequality in opportunities

Question 53

what is centralisation of control?

Answer 53

* central government has the power to allow or require schools to become academies or allow FSM to be set up. these schools are funded by the government. * rapid growth has led to reduced role of elected local authorities.

Question 54

what is cola-isation

Answer 54

* brands and vending machine on school premises, developing brand loyalty through logos and sponsorships.