New Right NO2

Closely linked with functionalism and they believe in meritocracy, shared values and social order

Strongly influenced by neo-liberal ideas- The state should have minimal involvement

Believe in the power of market forces and competition

Key ideas about education-

  1. Education should promote shared values

  • Social cohesion, national identity and a sense of duty

  • Schools should instil competition, discipline and hard work

  1. Current state education fails

  • The new right argues that the state-run education system is inefficient, unresponsive and wastes resources

  • Schools do not meet the needs of pupils, parents or employers

  1. Solution- Marketisation of education

  • Introduced policies to make school more competitive (league tables, OFSTED, formula funding

  • Parentocracy- Parents act like consumers with more choice over their child’s education

  • Belief that competition improves standards


Chubb and Moe

  • Criticised state education for failing disadvantaged groups

  • Argued for a voucher system where parents use vouchers to choose the best school- This would drive up standards

  • Believe that private schools outperform public schools because they are more responsive to consumer demands


Strengths of the new right

  1. Promotes standards through competition

  • Idea of marketisation pressures schools to improve

  • Encourages schools to be more efficient and accountable

  1. Gives parents more choice

  • Through policy’s like open enrolment and school league tables the new right support parentocracy- giving power to parents as consumers

  1. Reinforces social integration

  • Supports the idea that schools should promote shared values (through a national curriculum)


Criticisms of the New Right

Marxists- Argue that it ignores inequality- Marketisation benefits the middle class

Contradiction- Want less state control but still support a national curriculum

Marketisation can lead to a two-tier system- good schools improve while bad ones decline further

Dosen’t address deeper social inequalities that effect educational outcomes (class, ethnicity)