Schools should become more like
businesses, treating parents and
students like consumers
The New Right
People are best left to meet
their own needs
Functionalist Similarities
People are more talented than others
Both favour an education system based on meritocracy and
helps to increase competition whilst preparing young people
for work.
Both believe the education should
socialise pupils into shared values
and instill a national identity
The education system is
failing because it is run
by the state.
The lower standards are due to the
education system being inefficient and
unresponsive because it doesn't need
to answer to parents, pupils and local
people/issues.
This results in a less prosperous economy and a
less qualified workforce
The solution is to create an 'education market' to
increase competition between schools. This increases
efficiency and the ability to meet the needs of pupils,
parents and employers
John Chubb and Terry Moe (1990): Consumer Choice
State run education has failed in US because
Not created equal opportunity
Fails to produce pupils wth the
skills needed to benefit the
economy
Private schools get better results
because they are answerable to
paying customers - Parents
Pupils from low-income families do
around 5% better in private schools.
An education market would put control
with the parents. The consumers would
shape schools to meet requirements
that the local economy needs.
Improving efficiency and quality.
Schools would have to compete for
parent's business by improving their
product.
Two Roles for State
Imposing a framework for
schools to compete through
Ousted inspections and
league tables that allow
parents to make a decision
between school choices.
A shared culture is transmitted
through the National Curriculum.
Guaranteeing socialisation into a
single cultural heritage.
Overall, the education system should
affirm the National Identity. Britain's
positive aspects should be emphasised
with pupils integrated into a single set of
traditions and values.
Evaluation Points
Gewirtz (1995) and Ball (1994) suggest that
competition in the education system benefits
middle-class people who can use cultural and
economic capital to access better schools
Social inequality and inadequate
funding is the real reason for low
standards
Contradiction between parental choice
and national curriculum.