Social Policy in Education

TRIPARTITE SYSTEM:

  • Up until the end of WW2 the sons and daughters of the middle and upper classes had most access to education.

  • Social democratic thinking dominated between 1945 and 1979.

  • Butler’s Education Act was introduced in 1944 because it aimed to abolish class-based inequalities within state education.

    • A tripartite system was introduced to provide three types of secondary school, each suited to one of three types of ability.

  • It didn’t affect public schools.

  • The three schools in the system were grammar schools for academically able pupils, technical schools and secondary modern schools for everyone else.

  • At age 11 they took an IQ test called the 11+ test.

  • Schools were considered to have ‘parity of esteem’ because they would provide the most suitable education for the development of each type of learner, irrespective of their background.

  • Two worst problems of this system were:

    • 75% who attended secondary moderns were seen as ‘failures’ and many weren’t allowed to take exams, so were denied opportunities to progress.

    • Social class divide remained intact, 2/3 of grammar school places were taken by middle-class pupils, so some pupils ended up in secondary moderns irrespective of their ability.

  • It still has supporters because it served many middle-class families very well, so much that it even still exists in some places today.

MARKETISATION OF SCHOOLS – 1988 EDUCATION ACT:

  • New Right influence in this act is clear.

  • Competition encouraged between schools through marketisation (and testing) – successful schools could expand and unsuccessful schools were threatened\with budget cuts and possible closure if they didn’t improve.

  • Testing allowed parents to judge the schools’ quality, students would sit national tests that allowed schools to draw up league tables which are visible to parents and help them make informed decisions.

  • Children were tested at ages 7, 11 and 14.

  • National curriculum was introduced to develop meaningful standards for comparison and all pupils received teaching in appropriate knowledge and skills.

  • Local authority influence was reduced as schools could decide how to manage their budget and even opt out of local authority control altogether, allowing own decisions about pupil admission.

  • Biggest problems with this act:

    • Class differences were reinforced as middle classes have the capital to get their children into the best schools.

    • Tests are stressful and damaging to the students and league tables are somewhat counterproductive.

    • Schools wouldn’t admit low achievers or enter low achievers for exams – some schools may also spend more on marketing than education.

  • Cream-skimming: allowing students into the school or not – only picking out the best.

  • Silt-shifting: removing the lower achievers to not interfere with the ‘best’ and league tables.