Educational Policies: Marketisation, Tripartite System, Vocational Education & Globalisation Quiz

Educational Policies: Exploring Marketisation, The Tripartite System, Vocational, and Globalisation's Impact

Educational policies are the decisions, laws, and initiatives that shape educational systems, aiming to improve standards and address contemporary issues such as the global marketplace and social inequality. Let's explore several key subtopics within this context.

Marketisation of Education

The marketisation of education encourages schools to compete with one another, resemble private institutions, and act like businesses, with the goal of improving standards and performance. Initiatives like the 1988 Education Reform Act in the UK introduced competition, league tables, and the National Curriculum to formalise educational standards.

The Tripartite System

The tripartite system, in place from 1944 to 1988, sorted students into three types of secondary schools: grammar schools for academically gifted students, secondary modern schools for average students, and technical schools for vocational training. This system gave way to the comprehensive school system, which aimed to provide equal educational opportunity to all students.

Vocational Education

Vocational education focuses on preparing students for specific careers and is often more practical and skills-based than traditional academic subjects. It has experienced various policy shifts in the UK, with the 1988 Education Reform Act funding formula and the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act setting the stage for increased vocational training.

Compensatory Education

Compensatory education aims to address inequalities that impede educational achievement, such as poverty, social class, and ethnicity. Policies like the Pupil Premium, introduced in 2011, provide additional funding for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Globalisation's Impact

Globalisation has influenced educational policy in several ways. It has led to an increased focus on skills and competences to keep pace with the global market, the expansion of private schools and universities, and the creation of global rankings to compare and contrast systems. However, the increased competition also means that governments may play a reduced role in the education system and that inequalities may be exacerbated due to the global digital divide.

The New Labour Era

New Labour's education policy, from 1997 to 2010, aimed to raise standards in order to create a skilled labour force. New Labour increased expenditure on vocational, work-related training, introduced new vocational education policies, and focused on inclusion and tackling social disadvantage.

Post-New Labour

After New Labour, educational policies continued to evolve. The Coalition government, formed in 2010, introduced the Academies programme, which turned state-funded schools into independently managed academies, and the Free Schools programme, which allowed parents, teachers, and other groups to open their own schools. These initiatives aimed to increase parental choice and reduce bureaucracy.

In conclusion, educational policies are shaped by various factors, from marketisation trends and globalisation to the core values of political parties and the social needs of the time. Understanding these subtopics can shed light on the complex history of educational policies and their impacts on students, schools, and society at large.