Understanding the New Right Perspective on Education

Education TOPIC 3 Theories of Education New Right LESSON 1

15/05/2025 CWK: What is the New Right perspective of education? SOME: to evaluate the new right perspective o Education. MOST: to explain key principles and beliefs of the new right perspective. ALL: to describe Conservative Education Policies. LESSON OUTCOME: Do Now Task: interleaved learning Write 3 functions that functionalists see education as performing. Write 2 criticisms of functionalism. Write 1 sentence summing up your opinion of functionalism.

THE NEW RIGHT The New Right is linked with the conservative governments, who take very much a New Right view when making decisions and forming policies. However NR principles believe that the state cannot meet peoples needs and that people should be left alone to meet their own needs. Thus, what is the NR view on education? Discuss Policy: a course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual

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1988 Education Reform Act This act was the major break from all previous educational policies it is the landmark for the new educational system we use today.

1988 Education Reform Act Introduction of National Curriculum Intro of inspection OFSTED Testing League tables Market forces - Competition Vocationalism job based study Local Management of Schools (LMS)

The National Curriculum This was the first time the National Curriculum was introduced. This took power away from the schools and teachers as they previously had authority over what was taught. Gov t told state schools what should be taught. Q: However what about independent schools?

1988 REFORM ACT - TESTING Testing- Standard Assessment Tests (SAT s) Key stage 1 Key stage 2 Key stage 3 Key stage 4 Identify where pupils need to improve Compare achievement across the country Important source of information in schools

1988 Reform Act: Testing Testing resulted in a wealth of data that was used to create league tables Compare schools Measure changes Can be used by the government to see what schools are achieving and what schools are failing Parents can use this data when choosing schools for there children

League Tables

What are the similarities between NEW RIGHT and FUNCTIONALISM.... Pg: 69 Both believe that some people are naturally more talented than others. Both favour an education system run on meritocratic principles of open competition, and one that serves the needs of the economy by preparing young people for work. Both believe that education should socialise pupils into shared values, such as competition, and a sense of national identity.

HOWEVER, Functionalism believe the education system is effectively doing this The New right do not believe the current education system is achieving these goals. The New Right argue that the one size fits all approach that the state takes does not work local consumers who use the schools such as parents, pupils and employers have no say on how the education system is run. The New Right s solution to this problem is the marketisation of education creating an educational market, a system that increases competition between schools and bringing greater choice to parents.

Read the section on CHUBB & MOE: CONSUMER CHOICE Pg: 69. Main argument/s Explain their research/study. What did they find/conclude? How does this support NR values.

Read the section on CHUBB & MOE: CONSUMER CHOICE Pg: 71. Investigated the American education system, and based their findings on achievements of 60,000 pupils from low income families and found low income pupils do about 5% better in private schools than state schools. Because of this they argue the American education system is failing because: It has not created equal opportunity and has failed the need of disadvantaged groups. It fails to produce pupils with the skills needed for the economy. Private schools deliver higher quality education because unlike state schools, they are answerable to paying consumers! (parents).

CHUBB & MOE: CONSUMER CHOICE Based on these findings, they call for an introduction of a market system a system that would put control in the hands of the consumers. They propose a system where each family would be given a voucher to spend on buying education from a school of their choice. This would force schools to be more responsive to parental choice, and introduce competition and a desire to attract pupils forcing the schools to raise the bar!

SUNNY SIDE SCHOOL CHASE HIGH Both schools want to attract Charlie and his voucher (worth money). So they are forced to raise their standards to attract pupils.

THE TWO ROLES OF THE STATE Although New Right do argue the state has too much control over education, they do believe the state does have two key roles in education; The state must impose a framework on schools within which they have to complete e.g OFSTED inspections. The state must ensure the schools transmit a shared culture.

Sociologists argue that increasing competition between schools would only benefit the middle and upper classes, who have more money and benefits to offer. Other sociologists argue that the real cause of issues in education is not excess state control, but social inequality and unequal funding of schools. EVALUATIONS Other perspectives such as Marxism would argue the education system does not impose a shared national culture. Contradictions in their theory argue for greater parental choice, but still an imposed structure and curriculum.

ACTIVITY: FILL IN THE GAPS In your workbooks, you have been given a fill in the gaps activity! You have five minutes to complete it!