Education Policy: The 1988 Education Act (AQA GCSE Sociology)

The National Curriculum and testing

• The Conservative government's 1988 Education Act brought about changes that remain essential to the current educational system

• All students aged 5 to 16 years were required to study several core subjects (English, maths and sciences) as part of the National Curriculum, which was implemented in September 1989

• At the end of the key stages, national tests in the core subjects, such as SATs and GCSE exams, were introduced

Aims of the National Curriculum

• To measure students' performance against national targets so that parents and schools are aware of whether a child is performing above or below the expected level for their age

• To improve the performance of children who are below the expected level and that of schools whose students fall below national targets

• To make it easier for parents to compare and choose between schools, helped by the introduction of school league tables

• To provide greater quality of education by ensuring both boys and girls take the same compulsory subjects to GCSE level, such as science, maths and English

Marketisation in education

• The 1988 Education Act gave more power to parents to choose which school to send their children to, which is linked to the idea of marketisation

• Schools started running like businesses to raise standards as schools compete with one another for students

• However, Ball, Bowe and Gewirtz (1994) argue that marketisation has reinforced the advantages of middle-class parents and has led to social class inequality in education

Features of marketisation

School promotion

• Schools promote themselves to attract students by:

  • publishing information on their website, such as examination performance

  • constructing a prospectus displaying facilities and courses available at the school

  • having a presence on social media and holding open days to showcase what they offer and to provide insight into the inner workings of the school

League tables

• School league tables are statistical data that compare the examination performance of schools against each other

• The Department for Education publishes them every year, displaying exam and National Curriculum test results

• They allow parents to compare the performance between schools, helping them decide which school to send their child to

Types of schools

• There is a wider range of types of schools for parents to choose from, such as free schools, faith schools, and academies

• Parents can consider sending their child to a school outside of their local area

Finances

• Schools are funded based on the number of students they attract

• Popular schools receive more funding, have better facilities and therefore attract better teachers

• Businesses can sponsor schools by providing extra funding and work experience opportunities

Parentocracy

• As parents become consumers of education, they have greater power, such as choosing a school, asking questions at open days, providing feedback and challenging school policies

Evaluation

• For the past 30 years, the education policies of the Conservative government have improved GCSE results, and no succeeding government has changed the Act's core principles. suggesting that it is successful

• However, schools increasingly ‘teach to the test’ to look favourably in league tables, which may stifle children’s ability to think critically and laterally

• Focusing on exam results and league table position causes stress for pupils as they are pressured to perform well in their SATs and GCSEs