educational policies summary
1944 education (butler) act
RA Butler - conservative
aim to provide equal opportunities
aspects: free state education influenced by meritocracy, 11+ exam and tripartite system, school leaving age is 15
tripartite system: grammar, secondary modern, technical schools
advantages: more students means increased workforce and social mobility, different schools match needs of economy, more WC kids in school (social mobility)
disadvantages: only MC benefited from grammar schools, MC and boys had advantage on 11+, lack of grammar school distribution
1965 comprehensive education
labour government
aim to remove social divisions created by tripartite system
aspects: free and equal education for everyone (no exam), catchment areas, academic and vocational education
functionalists like → promote social solidarity, meritocratic, specialist skills taught (Durkheim), more prepared workforce
marxists don’t like → reproduces class inequality, hidden curriculum (Althusser)
advantages: equal opportunities for all, promote social cohesion, remove class stigma
disadvantage: potentially lowers achievement/standards, Chubb and Moe one size fits all
1988 education reform act
Thatcher - new right
aim to remove direct control of state, increase competition and parent choice
aspects: marketisation policies (resulted in sink schools), parentocracy (Miriam David)
Ball and Gerwitz argued against parentocracy
Ball: MC have cultural capital
Gerwitz: MC have cultural and economic capital, privileged skilled/semi-skilled/disconnected choosers
advantages: competition increases standards, schools have more freedom, schools held accountable for standards/performance, policies still used today
disadvantage: myth of parentocracy, competition increases marginalisation, cream skimming/silt shifting create inequality, national testing is teaching for results
marxists: marketisation reproduces class inequality (benefits MC)
feminists: marketisation reinforces gender stereotypes (subject choice)