Education policy

Development of state education

Phase 1 - 1860-1944, middle-class children were given extensive education to prepare them for proffesnional jobs, whereas working-class children were given an elemenatry education in basic skills for factory work
Phase 2 - 1944 introduction of the tripartite system, 11 + tests divided children between secondary moderns and grammers. However this was abolished in 1965 with the introudction of the comprehensive system, removing most grammar schools rounf the country
Phase 3 - 1988, conservatives introduced education act, which in its core marketized education - policies that were continued by the Labour government

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Education spending increased drastically under the Labour governments from 1997. labour maintained two aims:
Promoting diversity and choice - this was attempted by maintaining the education market and promoting competition between schools. This included setting up academies and specialist schools
Reducing inequality of oppurtunity - In education, by introducing policies such as sure start and educational maintenance

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New Right argued competition drove up school standards
David called this parentocracy - an attempt to attract customers including publishing results and league tables, reports or formual funding (capital per student).
Schools are funded according to the number of people they attract, therefore popular schools get more money and can afford better resources and better teachers
In turn this attracts more high-achieving pupils, leading to better results and more funding

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Ball and Witty claim that marketzation of education reproduces inequality because publication of league tables means schools with good reults are more in demand and so can be more selective about pupils. This means they can select higher achieveing pupils from midle-class backgrounds (Marxism - education favouring the elite)
Ball argues that marketization legitimises inequality. Allowing parents to choose schools means that if their children do badly or attend bad schools this can be blamed on parents not the system. Furthermore, middle-class parents will be knowledgable of schools and so are likely to choose a better one.
Gerwitz in reality middle-class parents have more economic and cultural capital so they find it easier to for example move into better catchment areas.

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