sociology

The Education reform Act 1988

David Gillborn argues that the introduction of league tables have made schools and headteachers less tolerant of certain types of pupil and more likely to expel them. Students may well be labelled this way because of their gender, class or ethnicity backgrounds. This has a negative effect of standards and attainment.

Competition between schools has meant some schools have become very successful but some have become failures or "sink" schools (markets have winners and losers!). Failing schools are much more likely to be found in working class inner city areas. Subsequent naming and shaming and putting into special measures by Ofsted inspectors can send schools spiralling down towards closure. This is severely disruptive of the education of…