Education policies

Key aims of education policy in the UK

  1. Equality of opportunity- Reducing class, gender and ethnic inequalities

  2. Raising standards- Improving attainment and teaching quality

  3. Marketisation- Increasing competition and parental choice

  4. Vocationalism- Linking education to the economy and employment

1944 Butler education act

Introduced 11+ exams and divided students into-

  • Grammar schools

  • Secondary modern schools

    Aimed for meritocracy, however, favoured middle class

Criticism- Reproduced class inequality and bias

1965 comprehensive schools

  • Abolished selection, all students attended the same local school

  • Aimed to improve equality of opportunity

  • Criticism- Streaming and labelling still led to class inequality

1988 education reform act (Conservative- Thatcher)

Introduced marketisation-

  • League tables- Schools being placed into league tables depending on results

  • OFSTED- Government funded system to measure success of school

  • National curriculum

  • Formula funding

  • Open enrolment/ parental choice

Criticism (Ball, Gewirtz)

  • Benefited middle class (cultural capital, school choice)

  • Created sink schools (schools that are shut down) and inequality

1997-2010 New Labour (Blair and Brown)

Focused on compensatory education and reducing inequality

  • EMA (Education Maintenance allowance)

  • Sure start and education action zones

  • City academies

  • Increased funding to deprived areas

Criticism- Continued Marketisation, EMA later scrapped (only lasted 6 years)

2010-2015 coalition (Conservative-Lib Dem)

  • More academies and free schools

  • Pupil premium- Extra funding for disadvantaged students

  • Tuition fees increased to 9000+ from 1500

  • Free school meals

  • 2 Year A level

Criticism-

  • Academies lack accountability

  • Middle class benefit more from free schools

Sociological perspectives-

Functionalism-

  • Policies promote meritocracy and social solidarity

  • Critics argue that the system isn’t truly meritocratic

Marxism-

  • Policies serve capitalist interests

  • Reinforce class inequality through hidden curriculum, ideological state apparatus (Althusser)

Feminism-

  • Early policy’s reinforced gender roles

  • GIST and WISE encouraged girls into STEM

  • Education system still reflects patriarchal values

New Right-

  • Favour marketisation and parental choice

  • Criticise state-run education for inefficiency