New Right view on education

What lens do neoliberals use to view education?

Economic lens

What 3 things should schools promote?

Competition, choice, efficiency

What is marketisation?

Schools compete like businesses; parents act as consumers

What 2 limited roles should the state have?

Set national curriculum; provide framework for schools

Who are Chubb & Moe? What system did they propose?

New Right thinkers; voucher system

What is a parentocracy?

System driven by consumer power, not government control

What did the 1988 Education Reform Act introduce?

Vocational education and marketisation

Name 3 ways the state monitors schools

Ofsted, league tables, standardised testing

How do functionalists and New Right differ on competition?

Functionalists: within system (exams); New Right: between schools (league tables)

How does the voucher system link to consumer choice?

Gives parents public money to spend = consumer power

How did New Right ideas spread across political parties?

New Labour (1997-2010) still supported academies despite being centre-left

Link New Right to globalisation

Schools must raise standards to meet needs of global economy

Strength: How have league tables/Ofsted helped?

Improved results in some failing schools; greater accountability

Strength: What is a parentocracy supposed to do?

Empower families and encourage innovation

Criticism: What is cream-skimming?

Schools select most able students, discriminate against those needing support

Criticism: What system does cream-skimming create?

Two-tier system not creating equal opportunities

Criticism: How does marketisation reproduce inequality?

Middle-class parents use economic/cultural capital to get better choices

Criticism: What is the problem with the National Curriculum?

Ethnocentric—reflects white, middle-class, Eurocentric view; marginalises minorities

Criticism: What is commodification of learning?

Private providers prioritise profit over educational quality/student welfare

Comparison: How does New Right contrast with Marxism?

New Right sees marketisation as solution; Marxists see it as reproducing class inequality