Social Policy and Education
- Created by: BWards18
- Created on: 07-06-17 20:14
1. 1880 Compulsory Education Act - Provided state run schools for all 5-13 year olds aiming to teach basic literacy, numercacy and morality.
2.1944 Education Act (Tripartite System) - Introduced the Tripartite system in which there was now three types of school and with this sytem came the introductio of the 11+ to test which one of these schools a child should go to:
- Grammar Schools - Offered an academic curriculum and access to higher paid, non-manual jobs. Students were defined as bright and academic - studied GCE O and A Levels. 20% of the school population went to Grammar schools and were mainly M/C.
- Technical Schools - Intended for children who were good at technical subjects, these schools focused on vocaional training, 5% of the school population went to these schools.
- Secondary Modern Schools - Less academic and more practical. Students were given basic education and little oppurtunity for external exams, giving access to manual work and people who attened these schools were mainly W/C.
This system intended to cater to students individual learning styles and aspirations however was argued to just create inequality between classes and gender.
Criticisms:
- 11+ was unreliable
- Selection process was unfair - denied many education after 15.
- No equality of status - secondary moderns were seen as second rate.
- Social class divisons were reproduced.
3. 1966 Comprehensives - 11+ and grammar schools were abolished creating comprehensive schools to create a meritocratic society. By 1979, 80% of students were attending comprehensive schools. Functionalists believe this system achieves social intergration and a fair meritocratic system to pick future working roles.
Criticisms:
- Streaming - Keddie - Streaming may lead to the self fulfilling prophecy in which achieve of lower stream pupils declined.
- Labelling - Ball - Teachers will continue to label W/C's negatively and restrict oppurtunites for them.
- Comprehensive systems have been seen to just legitimate inequality through the 'myth of meritocracy', it appears to give equal oppurtunities .
- Grammar and Secondary divide still exists.
4. The 1988 Education Reform Act - Introduced the followig changes to the system:
- National Curriculum
- National system of testing, SATS and GCSE's.
- Reduced role of LEA's (Local Education Authority)
- Established City Technology Colleges and Grant maintained schools.
- Parentocracy - empowering parents to give them choice.
- Publication of league tables.
- Ofsted
- Formula Funding
These changes established the priniciple of marketisation within the education system, favoured by the New Right. Marketisation is the process of introducing market forces of consumer choice and competition between suppliers run by the state. This policy started it by reducing state control and increasing competition/parental choice.
Neo Liberal and the New Right View:
Share similarities with Functionalists in believing that some people are more naturally talented, believe in meritocratic priniciples and education should socialise young people inot shared norms and values.
However, the new right believes that the education system isnt achieving its goals, it shouldn't be run by the…
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