SOCIOLOGY- Education- Compensatory

Compensatory Education- Paper 1 Sociology

What is Compensatory education?

Government policies designed to close the class achievement gap by providing extra resources to schools and children in deprived areas, aimed at overcoming cultural or material deprivation.

When did compensatory education begin in the UK?

late 1960s

What was the 1967 Plowden Report?

Introduced Educational Priority Areas (EPAs) to support disadvantaged children. It aimed to close the achievement gap caused by cultural or material deprivation through targeted funding.

What is compensatory education an example of?

Positive discrimination- working class are given extra help and support to make up for their deficiencies, so they can compete on a level playing field with middle class children.

Operation Head Start

Multi-billion dollar scheme of pre-school education which took place in America in the 1960’s to early 1970’s.

What was OHS?

It was a programme of “planned enrichment” for children from deprived areas.

What did OHS provide?

Improving parenting skills, setting up nursery classes, home visits by educational psychologists an using mainstream media to promote the importance of value such as punctuality, numeracy and literacy.

Evaluation of Operation Head Start?

Results were disappointing- a large scale evaluation found that the programme produced no long- term benefits for those who had taken part in it.

Education Action Zones

Set up in 1988

What were EAZs?

Directed resources to low- income, inner city areas in an attempt to raise educational attainment.

Stats on EAZs.

By 2003- 73 EAZs in England funded by central government with extra funding from businesses.

An OFSTED report on EAZs praised some initiatives such as breakfast clubs and homework clubs and found some improvement at KS1, but none at GCSE.

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMAs)

Introduced by the New Labour Gov in 1999.

Purpose of EMAs?

Designed as a financial incentive to encourage 16-19 year old students from low- income households to stay in post- compulsory education.

Sure Start

Officially launched in 1999 by the New Labour government.

Aim of Sure Start?

Was to work with parents to promote the physical, intellectual, and social development of babies and young children, create high quality learning environments to improve children’s ability to learn and help parents with supporting their children.

Outcome of Sure Start?

established 3500 Sure Start Centres, initially established in low- income areas. Was highly valued by parents, improved health outcomes such as obesity, and provided high- quality childcare.

Evaluation of Sure Start?

Studies showed limited measurable improvement in overall educational achievement.

New Right- critical of state intervention

Pupil Premium

Established in 2010 by the Coalition Government.

Purpose of Pupil Premium?

To raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the “achievement gap” between them and the more affluent peers

Criticism of compensatory Education

It places the blame on the child and their background, diverting attention form the deficiencies of the educational system.

Criticism of compensatory Education

Accepts to view that working class culture is inferior and this is why children fail in school.

Criticism of compensatory Education

Gewirtz- Compensatory education is really an attempt to eradicate working class culture by transforming working class parents into middle class parents.

Criticism of compensatory Education

Ball- Observed that the calls gap in educational achievement between working class and middle class students persisted.

Criticism of compensatory Education

Tomlinson- pointed out that although more working class students entered higher education, inequality still persisted and even widened.