1988 Education Reform Act: Marketisation

marketisation

the introduction of the market forces of choice and competition

What were the aims of the 1988 Education Reform Act?

• extend the market to education

• introduce the market forces of choice and competition to education

• run schools like businesses

• reduce state control over education

• drive up the standards of schools

What was the main legislation of the 1988 Education Reform Act?

• exam league tables

• OFTED inspection reports

• formula funding

• open enrolment

• parentocracy

• national curriculum

• SATs

formula funding

schools receiving the same amount of funding for each pupil on their register

open enrolment

parents can apply to any school of their choosing for their children and successful students schools recruit more students

parentocracy

where power is transferred from schools (the producers) to the parents (the consumers) and schools respond to parents’ demands

What were the strengths and weaknesses of the 1988 Education Reform Act?

Strengths	Weaknesses
results improved in the 1990s	schools became over subscribed
schools could choose how to spend their budgets by opting out of local eductaion authority control	poorer performing schools tended to be populated by working class students
	too many tests for young students, creating a stressful exam culture