Is Comprehensive Education dead - Essay Example

For these reasons and more, there was an introduction of a Comprehensive system of Education. This paper will critically evaluate two different political ideologies, as well as the social factors presenting barriers to academic progress. It will consider the origins of each ideology and make links to current government education policies. Political ideologies presenting barriers in academic progress in UK Education in UK is highly developed. Every coun8try in the United Kingdom has its own separate systems and under separate governments.

However, there are both political ideologies and social factors that present barriers to academic progress in the Kingdom. One example of political ideology that presents a barrier to education progress in UK is the Neoliberal ideologies. This is an ideology that stresses on individual liberty. The idea of liberalism originated in the 18th century from ideas of philosophers like Hobbes and Locks. They saw that an individual was of prime importance thus introduction of individual liberty. Liberalism asserts that the government has the responsibility to protect an individual’s rights and not to interfere in individual interests (Harvey, 2007).

Even, though, their arguments are justifiable, since every human being has a right to make their choices; this idea presents a number of barriers on the progress of education. For example, Education is seen as a form of business. Students are seen to be global capital, and their value is judge on the basis of their skills. In this case, this seem to discourage people to proceed with education since even though one might put effort in education and progress to the level one can, when out in the business market they are judged according to their skills and not knowledge.

They are judged according to what their skills can offer to help improve the country’s economy. The idea of considering education as a business rather than a developmental process meant that education is being measured on the basis of links with the business links (Harvey, 2007). This alters the progress of education in that schools do not care if the education is profiting the students but whether education has helped link the country with the business world. Thus, not of significant benefit to the students, but rather to the government.

Neoconservative ideology is another example of political ideologies, which act as a barrier to academic progress in the UK. Neoconservative ideology originated in the 1970s when the neoconservatives rejected everything that the welfare state stood for. Neoconservatives believe on the importance of honoring and respecting traditions. It states that the government should be authoritarian so as to protect the social order. It insists on the importance of moral values, self restrain family and patriotism.

However, this idea has created barriers on the progress of education in a number of ways. Neoconservative ideology meant that educational institutions should stick to rules and traditions and follow what the government or the authorities have suggested as a teaching system. This introduced a compulsory national curriculum in schools. This, however, gave the government the power of control over schools. This was a barrier to the progress in academics,