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Despite the claimed benefits of marketisation, its crictics argue that it has increased inequalities between pupils, e.g middle class parents are better placed to take advantages of the choices available.
It is argued that marketisation reproduces and legitimates inequality through:
- exam league tables and the funding formula.
Better schools are more in demand because parents are attracted to them, this allows schools to be more selective and choose the highest achieving, mainly middle class, so they get the best education.
Poor schools are less in damands so they cant be selective so they have to take the less able, mainly working class pupils.
Schools are allocated funds based on how many pupils they attract, so popular schools receive more funding therefore they can afford better qualified teachers and better facilities, and less popular schools lose income and find it harder to match the teaching and facility standards of their rival schools.
Disadvantages
The Act
The Act established the principle of marketisation in education which was favoured by the New Right.
Marketisation refers to the process of introducing market forces of the consumer choice and competition between suppliers into areas run by the state.
Marketisation
1988 Education Reform Act
Marketisation in education means that schools are run more like businesses, they have to attract customers who are the parents by competing with each other in the market.
The Education Reform Act created an 'education market' by:
- increasing both competition between schools and parental choices of school.
Those schools that provide customers with what they want - exam results - will thrive and those that dont will 'go out of business.'
Policies to Promote Marketisation
- Publication of Exam League Tables and OFSTED Inspection reports to give parents what they need to choose the right school.
- Schools having to compete to attract pupils.
- Open enrollment allowing successful schools to recruit more pupils.
- Formula funding where schools receive the same amount of funding for each pupil.
Parentocracy
This means 'rule by parents.'
In the education market power shifts away from teachers and schools to the parents.
This encourages diversity among schoools and gives parents more choice, meets the needs of different pupils and raises the standards.