The Education Reform Act (1988)

Under New Right, conservative government

Aims of the New Right

> Control curriculum / standardisation

> Introduce market forces

> Enhance role of business in schools

> Reduce power of LEA's - more power to school / parents

Marketisation - treating and running schools like businesses.

Education Reform Act - policies:

1. Introduction of National Curriculum - common for 5-16 yr olds - responsibility for what they should be taught shifted from teachers to central government - 3 core subjects and foundation subjects.

2. New tests - SATs - age 7,11,14. GSCEs for end of compulsory education - replaced O' levels.

3. Introduce market forces (competition & increased choice) - school aims for highest standards because students bring money. OFSTED introduced -inspections. LEAGUE tables. New school types - city technical colleges - partly financed by businesses. Grant (gov) maintained schools.

4. Enhanced role of business in schools - Market schools with glossy brochures, open evenings

5. Reduce power of LEA - LMS introduced - Heads & governors have more power to control budgets. Power taken from LEAs which were democratically elected and accountable.

> Schools can become specialist in a number of areas > increases diversity & choice.

> Use of assessments, targets and league tables to measure the performance of schools. Information for parents.

> Value-added measure - inidcates how much pupils were improving at the school.

> Labour - saw education as training the workforce - vocational.

Tomlinson - education was subordinated to the economy:

> New Deal for Young People - provided education, training, volunteering or subsidized jobs for young people who had been unemployed for 6 months or more + personal advisors.

> Vocational GCSEs and A levels - rebranded NVQs to raise their status

> Parents have a choice as 'consumers' - should make education standards rise. Poorly performing schools would lose money and face closure.

> Set targets for attendance and exclusions and results that all schools should meet

> Fining parents if they do not stop their children playing truent.