2. New Labour
Since 1997 Labour governments have sought to:
reduce inequality of achievement
promote diversity
Education Action Zones
Aim higher
EMA
3. New Labour
Tony Blair 2002 – education needs to move into the post-
comprehensive era
Existing ‘one size fits all’ system would be scrapped
New system built around aptitudes and needs of the
individual child
4. Specialist Schools
By 2007 about 85% of secondary
schools had become specialist
schools
There is some
evidence that
specialism has
raised
standards
2006 – 59.5% five GCSE
A-C as opposed to 47.5%
in non-specialist schools
However it is unclear whether they have reduced inequality
between social classes
6. Postmodernism and New Labour policies
Kenneth Thompson (1992) – postmodern society schools
can break free from ‘oppressive uniformity’
Education should become customised to meet the
needs of diverse communities
7. Criticisms
Whitty (2002)
EMA may encourage working class student to stay in
education but…
Higher tuition fees may deter them from going to
university
Labour’s anti-inequality policies are merely cosmetic
8. Criticisms
Grammar schools still exist
Private, fee paying schools still exist
Private school even still have charitable status which
reduces the amount of tax they pay
Polly Curtis (2007) – estimates this to be worth £100 million per
year
10. Gender
In 19th century girls were almost completely excluded
from higher education
Under tripartite system girls had to achieve a higher mark
to pass the 11+
11. Gender
GIST – Girls into science and technology
WISE – Women into science and engineering
13. Ethnicity
Policies aimed at abolishing inequalities between
ethnicities have gone through several phases:
1. Assimilation - 60s and 70s idea that minority groups
should assimilate into British culture
(compensatory education)
14. 2 - Multicultural education
– Aimed to promote achievement through valuing all cultures
therefore raising the self-esteem of minority students
Criticisms of multiculturalism
Tokenism – only certain parts of other cultures are included in
the curriculum and it fails to challenge institutional racism
New Right thinker think we should have assimilation into a
shared national culture
15. 3 – Social Inclusion
Detailed monitoring of exam results by ethnicity
Amending Race Relations Act to place a legal duty on
schools to promote diversity
Continued funding for English as an Additional Language
16. Exam Practice
Explain what is meant by ‘comprehensive education’
2 marks
Suggest three factors that may explain the educational
underachievement of boys 6 marks
Outline some of the policies that the government have
introduced to reduced class differences in educational
achievement.
12 marks
