Critically Evaluating Current Neo-liberal Education Policies - Essay Example

?Critically evaluating current neo-liberal education policies, in relation to forcing some schools to become academies, and discussing if policies will help improve the educational attainment of children in Britain’s inner cities Customer Inserts His/Her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name (30 04, 2013) Outline 1. Introduction 2. Evaluating current neo-liberal education policies and discussing policies in educational attainment. 3. Conclusion Critically evaluating current neo-liberal education policies, in relation to forcing some schools to become academies, and discussing if policies will help improve the educational attainment of children in Britain’s inner cities 1. Introduction. Education is given uttermost importance by different states in the world. This is because the performance of the state’s economy is considered greatly influenced by the knowledge and skills the education system teaches the emerging population. Different governments across the world develop policies that inform the education system with an aim to facilitate production of competent and resourceful workforce. Moreover, certain ideologies surface to reveal the position of the government. Britain has been actively involved in formulation and implementation of education policies (Alexander 2009). It has adapted neo-liberal ideologies which have an impact in the education of the British schooling system. Neo- liberalism a philosophy that advocates for privatization of public sector promotes open markets and free trade. This essay will evaluate the current neo-liberal education policies in their relation to forcing some schools to become academies. It will also assess whether the policies will help to improve the education attainment of children in Britain’s inner cities. 2. Evaluating current neo-liberal education policies and discussing policies in educational attainment. History of education in Britain is rich in sequence and provides an insight of how rich the education system has developed. British education systems had taken up liberal ideologies in their system and have recently transformed and embraced neo- liberal ideologies in the education system. The ideologies have been championed by political forces. It has been observed that social inequality, political dominance and social classes have become dominant and tend to be promoted (Wiborg, 2010, p. 280). Attempts to improve the education system have been concerned with increasing the productivity of the education system. In a bid to change the education system new policies have been designed to raise standards following market ideologies. The schools become responsible for performance while the parents are given a variety of choices to select schools. Moreover, Bartlett and Burton (2006, p. 4) added that, the curriculum has been designed and dictated across the nation and attending school became compulsory. Those who choose to go for higher education have been required to pay tuition fee. The coalition government has reviewed the curriculum and qualifications in the education system since it assumed power in the year 2010. In order to enable learners to take the most appropriate route for the aspired profession, the coalition government introduced policies that facilitate them join a school to become an academy. An academy is an arrangement where students attend without paying and the school is managed by members of the local groups in the community. The coalition government reviewed funding for the vocational education. The motive was to increase the standards for qualification of the vocational education. Additionally, the school curriculum was reviewed to allow the instructors choose the method of delivery to the students. For the students in higher education, the coalition government ensured that there was mobility and sustainable funding. Qualifications pertaining diplomas and languages were reviewed. The language skills such as grammar, punctuation and spelling were incorporated in learning. The changes in funding arrangements were to ensure that students continue with learning, develop and grow academically (Ranson, 2010, p. 155). After the government introduced a curriculum which requires all schools to teach certain skills and subjects, a nationwide assessment curriculum was formed. Performance for schools began to be measured using the league tables. League tables give statistical information on the performance of all schools from different regions within the borders. Parents and students can get the information from the internet and magazines and review them before selecting a school. Schools performing as the best would receive many students and higher income that their competitors. Ball (2009, p. 2) notes that the policy changes in the education system in Britain came as a result of the pressure posed b different actors in the international scene. Politicians or heads of government want to be seen making a difference in their governance and education has been a target not only in the United Kingdom, but also in other parts of the world such as United States. Moreover, the government wants to keep to keep pace with the rest of the world when it comes to producing skills, knowledge and qualifications for the current trends in the market. The government will therefore ensure that it will produce people who have appropriate skills for the needs of the society and economy. As a result, the education system ended up with policies that separate people in different social classes. The higher education policies have been viewed to cause to the economy of United Kingdom. The greatest impact of the policies has been on funding where students are required to provide the largest portion of their higher education fees. Except for institution concerned with Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, University funding is provided by the students. Majority of the universities have been privatized (Bartlett and Burton 2006, p. 64). As a result, fewer students have enrolled in the universities. The coalition government has stipulated the minimum fee for universities. The minimum tuition was an increase. Sharp and Hankin (2006, p. 16) note that, the government spending on higher education is very low compared to other economies of the world. The government can compete with other economies of the world if it aggressively supports university education and creates new opportunities for the graduates. Investing in the Universities would assist the economy to recover from recession and attain stability in the coming years. Neoliberal ideologies seem to inform the education policies in the United Kingdom. Neoliberals assume that what is privately owned is better than what is publicly owned. This means that individual should endeavor to create personal benefits. This means that businesses that are privately owned will create competition will result in benefits for the individual. Similarly, the schools in United Kingdom have been privatized and turned into academies. Students have variety of choices to make depending on their desired career and will chose according to capability and qualification. Therefore, a government that promotes liberalism will not interfere with the schools and will allow competition that will cause maximum benefits to the student and to the schools (Abbas and Reeves, 2007, p. 101). Neo-conservatism ideologists have been embraced in the education system. Neo-conservatism encourages privatization of national resources and introduces controls that facilitate business. Citizens rely on themselves for basic services in an attempt to foster free market (Abbas and Reeves, 2007, p. 134). Bartlett and Burton (2006, p. 4) concur that, the effect of Neo- liberalism on the United Kingdom education system left the teachers negatively affected. Government spending on the education system was reduced because spending that did not reflect as causing a positive impact in the global market would be considered a waste. Students are required to provide funding for their education; which can be seen as the capital. Furthermore, the student competence to participate in the international economy is ranked by their qualification and skilled they have attained. Neo- conservatism ideas have been reflected when the government introduced the curriculum. The curriculum was a tool used by the government to give control of the school activities. The curriculum provides a means of ensuring that the minimum standards of education as required by the government are followed. Parents and students in the new developed academies could get the opportunity to enroll in their desired institution. The argument is that parents and students will prefer the best performing schools. People will shun away from schools with poor performance; hence, the poor performing schools will be closed down. Traditionally, students would get enrolled in the closest local school. The teachers would employ innovativeness in their teaching methodology, get local support and engage in nationwide education projects (Ball, 2006, p. 6). Academies in Britain receive funding from the central government. The local government authorities do not have direct control on the academies. The academy can be funded by sponsors and must adhere to the national curriculum and allow inspection. More academies emerged after the introduction of Free Schools. The Labor party was opposed to the formation of the academies. The teachers union and some parents ware notably in opposition of the academies too. The academies were strategically established in areas where academic completion was low as Bartlett and Burton (2006, p. 4) point out. Some of the schools that were converted into academies were seen to improve. Schools in the country had the greatest level of improvement compared to those in urban areas. Debates pointed at the exclusion of students difficult to teach as the reason for performance improvements. Academies have criticized for wasting resources, selective, controlling and influencing people nearby. Some parents feel that they have been forced to join schools they do not desire. Parent and teachers opposed to academies believe that the government forced schools on the privatization and transformation to academies. The creation of academies has been seen as a wrong move to leave the fate of the education sector to the private entrepreneurs and forces of the market. Sharp and Hankin (2006, p. 25) point out that, the participants of the market (most of whom are business entrepreneurs) will engage in a field they are not trained in education nor have experience in education industry. The entrepreneurs have been found to introduce additional ideologies. The debate on academies emphasizes that a number of ideas have been introduced such as religion which were previously not included. This is because some of the sponsors are religious organizations. The academies have ended up gaining more prominence and setting standards that would eventually qualify some student and parents to fit in the given academy. Best performing academies are on demand and will attract many parents. Abbas and Reeves (2007, p. 117) adds that, those who are able to meet the requirements are enrolled. Therefore, the debate notes that the choice of school is influenced by the school. The school will select parents and students as opposed to parents selecting the school. This is a result of completion. Some of the academies have poor quality of facilities and detrimental performance in the academics. The budgetary allocation for the academies is criticized for being high. This has resulted from highly salaried employees and the cost of setting up the academies (Tomlinson 2005, p. 11). There are political and ethical implications for the academies. Academies may benefit from the government funding if they meet the requirements. Politicians tend to be keen on the sides they take during the policy presentation so that they benefit as Ball (2008, p. 194) mentions. Policy research tend to take the direction tend to lay emphasis on the management of the schools, performance of the emergent academies and social economic impacts likely to be realized. Different findings have been obtained with majority predicting inequality in social and economic spheres, dominance of social classes and the collapse of the education system. Moreover, there is a mismatch between the local social needs and the achievements of the education system. Because of challenges in the British economy, the education system has been considered as a major contributor to the recovery of the economy (Hammersley 2007, p. 111). The entry of Margaret Thatcher into power in the late twentieth century led to changes in the education system that would see increased government control and demise of the Local Authority. The introduction of National Tests (formerly Standard Assessment Tasks) stimulated research whose motive was not only to test if the new management and policies would make changes, but also to inform if the tests are reflective of the actual competence of the students who are tested at intervals of seven, eleven as well as fourteen years (Gillard, 2011). The market approach introduced in the education system seems to depress equality and chances of empowerment of the disadvantaged in the society as Benn (2012, p. 18) mentions. Majority of proponents of the emerging policies (politicians) have a backgrounds where they paid their education or pay for the education of the children. They recommend comprehensive education yet the tuition for such is high. There lie numerous inequalities in Britain’s education system which is motivated by the growth of the private sector. Ethnic, social and economic disparity has emerged as a consequence of the emergence of new education policies. The quality of education has been compromised by the market control of education in the schools. The admission to a comprehensive school is largely dictated by a student’s background and social class. Social mobility is limited in comprehensive schools. The role of an educationalist in the current political climate is to deliver basic skills to the students to prepare them to contribute to the society in the future. Educationalists raise awareness among students, parents, policy makers and appropriate stakeholders on the possible outcomes of the current policies stipulated in the education system. Using their knowledge and skills educationalist can facilitate the delivery of appropriate measures that will improve the outcomes of the education system. The educationalist is quick to point out at effects of policies and ought to communicate the outcome appropriately for change in policy. Political ideologies tend to dominate the policy making process, however, the contribution of the educationalist by informing the public as well as the policy makers are significant (Chitty, 2007). Education for all enables many students to access education than before. As the school education system tries to accommodate different students from diverse background, the challenge causing social classes emerge with the adoption of the market approach (Richmond, 2007). Policies such as Every Child Matters have been introduced in the United Kingdom. The aim of this policy is to protect the children’s lives and improvement of their livelihood. Every Child Matters is a program for services that is offered to children and young adults bellow the age of eighteen, including the disabled. The support is to ensure that children are safe, healthy, get a chance to give positive contribution to society and attain economic well being. With increased knowledge on the role of parents, children teachers and policy makers on the educational needs of the child, policies are designed to benefit the young children. The services in education system contribute to the actualization and discovery of the child’s development of their capabilities (Tomlinson 2005, p. 57). The notion of Every Child maters seemed to disappear after the coalition government took over. This is because funding and commitment for the policy was very minimal. The government seems keen to make arrangements that will motivate the contribution of Every Child Matters services (West and Penell, 2009, p. 190). Bladen and Machin (2004) reveal that, emerging social issues reveal that education is defined with social class. This is evident in education sector which is dominated by service and capitalistic ideologies. Every stage of development requires one to make a choice depending on the economic capabilities in their choice of school. Competition has increased the dominant wish to control the society. The government seems to foster certain ideologies so that they can gain control in certain areas. By controlling the education system, the government is responsible for the competence of its citizens in the global economy. Neoliberal ideologies motive is to acquire more capital and obtain value to create a wider gap between the high and low social classes. To gain more power, the government enacted education policies that are opposed by the professionals (teachers), trade unions students and general population to maintain class. This has eventually resulted in certain ethnic groups and regions being marginalized. Politicians fall victim of being class conscious. They are responsible for formulating and implementing the policies. Politicians have economic self interest and will manipulate policies to benefit from such policies. They enrich self while diminish others (Ball, 2010, p. 124). Benn (2012, p. 67) notes that, when class consciousness dominates the policy makers in equality in wealth distribution emerges. Depending on the access to education, students obtain employment in a competitive market depending on their knowledge and skills. The wealthy progress to accumulate more wealth as the low income strives to meet their needs. Relatively, the level of income becomes unequal among the social classes that are created by the level of income. Education policies that prescribe to neoliberal ideas have adopted a controlled decentralized system that is similar to the market design. Education is privatized, managed and supervised as a business in a new approach of public management. Consequently, employees in the education system feel that their rights and conditions of work have been intruded and their rights violated. The result is of the education system is lack of equality to different classes of people, limited democracy and different outcomes for education. Despite resistance from the local nationals neo-liberal ideologies seem to e followed in the education system as Hill (2008, p. 45) reveals. The education policies in Britain will hardly improve education attainment of children in Britain inner cities. This is because there are negative impacts on the children who will be exposed to inequalities because of their background. Schools with high status will select their students on academic competence and class related standards. In the end, the students in high status may appear to emanate from certain races and a predominant social class (Adnett and Davies, 2002). The schools with high status will continue to prosper and those with poor status will sink. Students will perform according to the learning skills they are given. Those who can afford education will dominate a large proportion of the well paying employment opportunities and become a class. This leads to polarization as well as social exclusion (Hatcher and Jones, 2011, p. 4). The idea of adapting market ideologies in the education system contradicts with the notion of the government to control expenditure on the learning institutions. The market will demand that the education system prepare students to become competent and meet the needs of the current market trends. The education system may not be able to provide the highest level of education and competent basic skills that the future market will require. The labor market will be controlled to enforce basic skills to future labor market. As a result, the elite who have the opportunity to join high status schools get the highest wages, while those who were not able join get service or manual employee which pays the lowest wages (Zamudio, 2011, p. 8). According to Ball (2009, p. 84), improvement of education attainment may not be realized because of negative pay on employees, working conditions and job security. The government introduction of market approach will invite capitalist ideas such as reducing the cost of labor. Schools influence the conditions of work and compensation for work done. Trade unions and workers become weakened. This is evident as teachers now have reduced wages, reduced benefits and declining working conditions. Many teachers are employed on temporary or part time basis. Because of supervision and introduction of free education, many students have joined. This has led to an increase in the intensity of labor. Teachers unions have increasingly become less vocal and active in fighting for rights of the professional teachers in the labor market. The traditional management of schools has been replaced with different management by the government. The curriculum is controlled and a tool for the government to form a working social class which does not reflect democracy. Neoliberal education system seems to work towards creating a labor market that is politically, socially and culturally submissive to the states ideology (West and Steedman, 2003). Hill (2008, p. 35) adds that, children in the inner cities of Britain will be subjected to change schools if the requirements allow them to move to a different school. This change could hinder academic progress when the child changes their environment and has to cope in a new school. Classes with a large number of students overburden the teachers. Teachers are unable to adequately of serve different needs of the students. The inner cities in Britain may not be able to provide learning resources. The media has been actively involved in highlighting the merging issues on the education policies. They have provided with a variety of information comparing different system in different parts of the world such as United States and Korea, and compared it with the British system of Education. The pressure to produce competent workforce that will strengthen a countries economy has been viewed to be strong and influencing (Alexander and Flutter, 2009). 3. Conclusion. This paper has discussed influences of the policy making on education in the coalition government. The influences include changing trends and global competition in the economy, improvement of academic attainment together with dominance from the high social class. It has discussed neoliberal ideas that have been introduced in the education system. The ideas include introduction of state controlled academies which foster market approach. The public schools have been privatized to create completion and cause schools to perform. Although many schools have been forced to become academies, debate on the suitability of the academies has emerged. This is because the schools are viewed as free to all and giving opportunities to parents to choose the schools they prefer. Ironically, the market trends have caused the schools to choose the students. Social inequalities have emerged from the practice where the social classes have become more prominent that equality or democracy. Research shows that the neoliberal policies may have a negative effect on the education system and cause economic disparity among the citizens. Social consequences include controlled labor market that is dominant in creation of wealth and oppressing the poor. Since education attainment is measured by skills and knowledge acquired. This causes social exclusion and oppression to those who cannot get the capital for their education. Income and wealth creation is relative attainment of education. Therefore, policies may not help improve education attainment selection of students to join the schools is influenced by social class and related factors such as race and class. Teachers work at restrained and hard conditions with minimal pay. Organizations that oppose the government such as trade union like teachers union have been weakened and cannot influence policies stipulated. Change of environment and lack of enough resources may hinder the performance of the schools. 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