New Right

What do new right theorists think should happen to the education system?

Similar beliefs to the functionalists but believe that the state takes too much of a role and free market policies (marketisation) would raise standards. Schools should compete with one another and parents and pupils should be seen as consumers

Chubb and Moe: Education vouchers

Proposed a voucher system where each family receives a voucher equivalent to the cost of educating a child. This voucher could be spent at any school (state or private). The purpose is to…

• Introduce market forces into education

• Encourage competition between schools and attract students

• Improve standards as schools would need to satisfy parents (the ‘customers’) to survive

Eg if one school is underperforming, parents can choose another school, taking their voucher with them. This creates pressure for failing schools to improve

Parentocracy

Parentocracy is a system where parents have the power to choose which school their child goes to, rather than being assigned to a school based on where they live. It treats education like a market, where schools compete for pupils and parents act like consumers

1988 Education Reform Act (ERA)

Introduced by the Conservative government, heavily influenced by New Right thinking:

• Funding formula: Schools got money based on the number of pupils. Encouraged competition → more pupils = more money

• League tables: Schools ranked by exam results. Aimed to raise standards and inform parental choice. Created a market in education

1980s - Vocational Education

• Focus on skills for work to reduce youth unemployment

• Introduced schemes like Youth Training Schemes (YTS) and vocational qualifications (eg BTECs)

• Aimed to make education meet the needs of the economy (a key New Right idea)

New Labour - Academies (1997 to 2010)

• Continued New Right ideas like choice and standards

• Academies: state funded but run by private sponsors (eg businesses or charities)

• Targeted failing schools, especially in private areas

Coalition Government (2010 to 2015)

Free schools:

• Set up by groups (eg parents, teachers and charities)

• Funded by the state but run independently

• Increase choice and competition

Privatisation of education:

• Involvement of private companies in running parts of the education system (eg exams, school services)

• Education seen more as a business - part of the education market