1988 Education Reform 1988 Education Reform ActAct

Or……. Education as a business.Or……. Education as a business. A system of franchises???A system of franchises??? The introduction of market The introduction of market

principlesprinciples•Increase competition between

education suppliers. •Give customers product choice.

•Regulate the product. •'Bad' product will be eliminated by

the market. •Result: greater efficiency and

improved product and customer satisfaction.

Effectiveness = priorityEffectiveness = priority Parental choice Parental choice The introduction of the National Curriculum, The introduction of the National Curriculum,

with achievement targets set for all pupils at the with achievement targets set for all pupils at the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16. ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16.

Schools were allowed to 'opt out' of local Schools were allowed to 'opt out' of local Education Authority (LEA) control if the majority Education Authority (LEA) control if the majority of the parents voting in a ballot wished to do so. of the parents voting in a ballot wished to do so. Schools who opted out became 'grant-Schools who opted out became 'grant-maintained'; they were funded directly from maintained'; they were funded directly from central government. In 1997 the Labour central government. In 1997 the Labour government began to dismantle such schools. government began to dismantle such schools.

The financial management of schools was The financial management of schools was switched from the LEA to the boards of switched from the LEA to the boards of governors. governors.

City Technology Colleges were introduced. City Technology Colleges were introduced.

Supply and demand: Supply and demand: Consumer choiceConsumer choice

Intention was to introduce principles of supply Intention was to introduce principles of supply and demand into educationand demand into education

Schools forced to compete with each other for Schools forced to compete with each other for pupils and resourcespupils and resources

Parents had right to go outside catchment areasParents had right to go outside catchment areas Competition increased by introduction of league Competition increased by introduction of league

table resultstable results delegation of management and budget control delegation of management and budget control

to schools gave them greater freedom to to schools gave them greater freedom to compete and to decide how to use their compete and to decide how to use their resources to attract customers. resources to attract customers.

OFSTED begins producing reports on each OFSTED begins producing reports on each schoolschool

Central controlCentral control

National Curriculum introducesNational Curriculum introduces SAT’s introduced aiming to evaluate SAT’s introduced aiming to evaluate

performance of schoolsperformance of schools GCSE’s created to be taken by all GCSE’s created to be taken by all

students regardless of abilitystudents regardless of ability

Core beliefsCore beliefs

OFSTED is centrally concerned with improving the OFSTED is centrally concerned with improving the quality of schooling, providing for literacy and quality of schooling, providing for literacy and numeracy hours in primary schools, weeding out numeracy hours in primary schools, weeding out ineffective teachers, and setting performance targets ineffective teachers, and setting performance targets for each school.for each school.

Rise of parent power in schools, termed Rise of parent power in schools, termed 'parentocracy''parentocracy' by by David (1993)David (1993). Parents are now . Parents are now customers both in terms of their supposed ability to customers both in terms of their supposed ability to select which school they would prefer their children to select which school they would prefer their children to attend and in terms of their voting power as attend and in terms of their voting power as governors. governors.

Schools like businesses. Successful = cost effective Schools like businesses. Successful = cost effective and respond to consumer demand. Their product and respond to consumer demand. Their product would be an educated pupil of proven quality, would be an educated pupil of proven quality, measured by national standards of attainment. measured by national standards of attainment.

Is there a problem here?Is there a problem here?

Markets Markets Markets in theory and markets in practice are Markets in theory and markets in practice are

very different phenomena. Schools selection very different phenomena. Schools selection procedures and economic viability become procedures and economic viability become more important than their educational more important than their educational aspirations. Image becomes more important aspirations. Image becomes more important than substance, schools have to 'sell than substance, schools have to 'sell themselves'. Educational resources are used for themselves'. Educational resources are used for promotional campaigns. If education is a promotional campaigns. If education is a business, then we know what happens to less business, then we know what happens to less 'successful' products and underused and 'successful' products and underused and uneconomic factories. uneconomic factories.

DiversityDiversity

Diversity has rapidly become not Diversity has rapidly become not diversity of choice but diversity of choice but diversity by diversity by selectionselection. .

A 'top' school can only stay on top if the A 'top' school can only stay on top if the product commands demand. Diversity product commands demand. Diversity implies a choice from a range of different implies a choice from a range of different but equal educational providers, but in but equal educational providers, but in effect it has simply meant an increasing effect it has simply meant an increasing emphasis on selection. emphasis on selection.

Choice?Choice? Not all of us have the same range or possibility of choice. The Not all of us have the same range or possibility of choice. The

inability of all to exercise choice inevitably produces inability of all to exercise choice inevitably produces inequality.inequality.

Money now follows pupils, popular schools gain more money. Money now follows pupils, popular schools gain more money. These schools can therefore be more These schools can therefore be more selective selective about which about which pupils they will accept. The initial idea of choice changed. No pupils they will accept. The initial idea of choice changed. No longer do parents choose schools, schools now choose pupils. longer do parents choose schools, schools now choose pupils. Successful schools will select those pupils who are most likely Successful schools will select those pupils who are most likely to achieve academic success and so the reputation of the to achieve academic success and so the reputation of the schools gets better and it attracts more pupils and more schools gets better and it attracts more pupils and more resources. resources.

But what about those schools faced by the reverse spiral of But what about those schools faced by the reverse spiral of fewer pupils, fewer resources, worse results?fewer pupils, fewer resources, worse results?

In fact, choice has turned out to be an illusion for a large In fact, choice has turned out to be an illusion for a large minority of people. minority of people. Judd (1997)Judd (1997) suggests that between 25-50% suggests that between 25-50% of parents do not get their children into their choice of school. of parents do not get their children into their choice of school.

Schools cannot expand to meet market (so not a pure market)Schools cannot expand to meet market (so not a pure market) Popular schools become increasingly selective.Popular schools become increasingly selective.