Education refers to the process of facilitating the acquisition of knowledge, values, skills, habits, and beliefs. Education is a civilization tool. Notably, education perse is neither poor teaching nor increase of knowledge. School is more about the preparation of learners for right attitude a medium that is crucial for learning behavior, cognition, critical thinking and learning autonomously. Education is both formal and non-formal. Furthermore, education is holistic (Antikainen, 2006). This essay explores how the English education system contributes to creating winners while pushing other to a losing end. Some of the components of the components analyzed include Political spectrum and educational policies, post-war consensus in education, the role of neoliberal forces in an education system, standardization and reforms in the education sector and private sector.
Politics and Ideology: the Political Spectrum
The left and right school of thought took root in the UK's education system. However, it is important to remember that there existed a wide range of political spectrum and ideologies that an affected education system. Margret Thatcher's social policies tremendously increased state power and control of education, regardless the commitment to leave schools to operate freely in an open market. The distinctive feature of left and right wings ideology is the role of state and economy. The Right-wing political ideologies originated primarily from classical liberalism, which postulated that people are the most important thing in society and therefore rights and freedom of individuals should be guaranteed. Also, that inequality is natural phenomenon inherent in an individual e.g., some people are born smarter. Right wing ideology implies that the state should limit itself from infringing on the rights and personal freedoms of the people. For example, Margret Thatcher's reform in the UK dubbed as "rolling back the state." Furthermore, the right-wing ideologies tend to advocate for minimal restrictions on the economy (Blagovescenskij, 2016).
The right-wing ideology has two features that characterize it; preference of market-based and suspicion on the role of the state. On other hand the left wing ideology is associated with “The communist manifesto”.The proponents argue that inequality created by-products of circumstances in life. For example,a somebody is poor because the parents before them were also poor due to lack of means to improve their living standards. Therefore the left wings ideology advocates for a more massive state to provide welfare and public goods, for example, National Health in the UK. The distinctive feature of the left-wing school of thought is the commitment of the country to the provision of public good such as education, health,welfare, etc. In addition, the left wing generally belief in high degree of state regulation Educational practices reframed in economic aspects in situations where ideological and political issues of education eclipsed by technocratic and financial goals. In addition a neo-liberal debate has resulted to new approaches where schools operate as private entities for customer (the state and students) satisfaction rather than state services to citizens as ‘public good’. An economic theory of education based on efficiency, choice, competition and systemic assessment (Antikainen, 2006).When the education system is privatized students from disadvantaged backgrounds suffer most. Of economy to ensure players serve peoples’ interests.
The Postwar Consensus: Selective and Comprehensive Education
National schools systems vary in the level of ability to track students in high school, for example in the United States' comprehensive schools students of all abilities attend the same school. For instance, the Germany school system students are channeled early in life into various types of schools according to academic knowledge. In the 1960s and 1970s British schools moved from extensive tracking to a comprehensive one. The British system experienced a different transition because it involved a comprehensively defined change to classify secondary school students according to their ability. The traditional British school system tracked students into either attend a modern secondary school, less demanding academically or join academically selective grammar school when at 11 years. However, due to dissatisfaction with selection done locally, some local authorities commenced experimenting comprehensive schools in the 1950s. In 1965, the British central government instructed the Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to design plans to shift to a comprehensive system. The execution of plan proceeded gradually till the majority of schools adopted the complete system; however, there exist a few LEAs that offer grammar school as an alternative to date. Britain comprehensive education system researches by using the National Child Development Study (NCDS).The NCDS tracked members of the 1958 birth cohort, whose sample members entered secondary school in 1969 during a period when most LEAs offered comprehensive school as few continued providing selective schools. Kerckhoff(1986), argues that there exists little difference between particular and comprehensive areas. Research shows that inclusive regions systemically poor with students who had a very low previous achievement. Thus, it is not pragmatic to compare students attending selective and comprehensive schools.
Neoliberalism: Market Forces in Education
There has been a rapid upsurge of neo-liberal states as characterized by the transformation of the administrative country. Previously, states were driven by human welfare policy however the modern states have transformed into corporations as they collaborate with other players to reconfigure people into resourceful economic entrepreneurs. Proponents argue that primary reconfiguration is of subjects as financial entrepreneurs and also institutions with the capacity to produce them. This neo-liberal perspective of education is significant in understanding the possible processes and actions that had occurred with the institutionalization of neoliberal modes of governance.
Education context is the most relevant and strategic place for such ideological reconfiguration to take place. Arguably, some universities and schools had reconfigured to churn out responsible and individualized citizens' entrepreneur players in all aspects of their life' (Brown, 2003). According to Rose(1999), neoliberalism produces citizens tightly governed and productive who however perceives themselves as free
Standardization: National Curriculum and League Tables
There have been a lot of concerns about the wide gap and educational inequality. In the 1980s there was spread fear in the UK over alleged declining standards of education. Mainly, concerns were about a considerable number of individuals who left school early with little necessary skills. First and foremost, the minimum compulsory age to leave school 16 had increased over the years. Secondly, there was manifest stagnation of school, especially at mandatory stages (Howell, 2002). Due to these issues, the Conservative governments increased from a rate in the 1980s and 1990s and introduced "market mechanisms" in the UK education system to coerce schools to uplift standards. Furthermore, 1988 legislation dubbed Education Reform Act boosted the efforts to shift to 'quasi-market' education system. The Act caused market reforms and the established National Curriculum.
The set of market-based reforms aimed at improving accountability in government-funded schools through increased parental choice. The changes allowed parents to choose a school for their children and also have representation in school governing authority. Under this program, the level of school funding depended on the number of enrolled students, thereby motivating schools to enroll more students. The fundraising strategy helped schools to have greater autonomy (Howell, 2002).
Inspection and Control: OfSTED and Performativity
School inspection is vital national and global phenomenon. The Office for Standards in Education (OfSTED) is a government entity that regulates through inspection of educational institutions in England. OfSTED formulates and operates under Education Act of 2005. The 2005 Act introduced ‘short notice inspections' of which schools were given two to three days’ notice for inspection. The 2005 Act, emphasizes that schools should update and complete School Evaluation Form (SEF) to verify and create awareness of schools in their weakness or strength (OfSTED, 2014).
Inspection is a primary performativity instrument (Perryman, 2006). Performativity links measure value and endorse strategy which every practitioner follows (Ball, 2003). Performativity enhances self-regulation with a school system that advocated for performance management with the following activities appraisal, target setting, and performance. Finally, performativity refers to how knowledge considered and constituted.
Fragmentation: Competition, Choice, and Diversity
Educational policymakers across the globe design and support reforms that apply the market style, with incentives to change behavior. Reformers bothered by ineffectiveness and uniformity enforced market mechanisms with consumer choice, and competition among providers to promote diversification and competition in curricular alternative provided. Nevertheless, research shows that the market reforms policy does not encourage the school to develop an alternative strategy. Instead, the findings from four nations’ shows that suggest that uniqueness found in public schools may corrupt the market model. Theorists argue that competition and choice aim at strengthening school innovation and diversification (Lubienski, 2006).
The Cost of Failure: Filing and Coasting Schools
The UK government had set an emergency funding to support schools that faced imminent collapse. For example, it handed about 2.6 million pounds to 29 schools in the past years. The Department created the emergency fund for Education's Strategic School Improvement Fund and the fund awarded to schools in exceptional circumstances (Limb, 2015). Notably, despite the government effort to assist schools from falling, the fund has not helped much as schools still are on the verge of closing. The funds allocated to poorly maintained schools. Furthermore, the government funded inadequate academy provided they did not move to sponsor.
Secondary schools continued to fall below floor standards, and the government attributed this to a wide gap and spread of progressive scores as students scored more positively and more negatively. The change of education system to GCSEs which included reform math GCSE and 9-1 English 9-1, resulting to higher variance in scores as a top mark is ‘9' compared to "8" of the old system of GCSE. The change of system has proved difficult for most schools to adapt hence they are declared to be below "floor standard." Once a school labeled as "coasting" school it means it performs below "floor standard" and the regional authority were contacted to investigate the school and take necessary action including moving to new sponsor or turning it to an academy. By doing so, the policy created winners and losers.
Every Child Matters? Inclusion and Social Justice
Every child is entitled to all rights including the right to quality education. In the contemporary society, groups struggle for social justice and equality of opportunity in education systems. Studies were done to indicate that education system can curtail or perpetuate educational disadvantages for marginalized groups and individuals in society (Drakeford, 2001). A critical debate has been ensued about the impact of special education to children, while the effects of underperformance and educational disadvantage documented. Notably, there is likely a high number of people without qualification out of work and also the wage gap between those with university degree or diploma and those without is growing wide and wide. Politicians continue to advocate and reinforce the implementation of values of social justice: equal right to meet the basic needs, the equal dignity of all citizens, the need to eliminate unjustified inequalities and spread life chances and opportunities as wide as possible. All these objectives can only be obtained through government prioritization policy including;
a) Free compulsory pre-school education
b) Necessary skills program for children via numeracy and literacy targets in the National Curriculum.
c) High target and achievement for children via universal and unified education system for 14-19 years old.
d) Employers train employees on investment.
e) Creating and development of long-term learning opportunities and programs
f) The government to expand higher education such as both college and university education.
Therefore, for a developed social justice must be guaranteed to its citizens particularly the children in schools to inculcate a culture of inclusivity, equity, and development.
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