New Labour educational policies since 1997

Rational behind New Labour educational policies Recognise that education is key to economic success Need for all pupils to have good basic skills in numeracy and literacy Concern that some groups are not succeeding in education with negative effects for society, communities & individuals Sought to reduce inequality of achievement and promote greater diversity, choice & competition

Unchanged Conservative Policies League tables Ofsted Power to take over failing schools Vocational education National Curriculum SATs Formula Funding

New Policies: Reducing Inequality Reduce primary class sizes under 30 Literacy & numeracy hours in all primary schools After-school hoemwork clubs and Easter revision schools Education Action Zones with extra resources Aim Higher programme to raise aspirations of groups who are under-represented in higher education EMAs to encourage students to stay on post-16 Parents in areas with grammar schools could hold vote to see change to comprehensive Students in higher education have to pay part of course fees – more places, but at cost Proposal to raise school leaving age to 18 by 2015, no more Neets (not in education, employment or training)

New Policies: Increasing Diversity & Choice Tony Blair (2002): need to move to ‘post-comprehensive’ era; ‘one size fits all, mass production’ needs scraping; new system where aptitudes & needs of individual child are at the centre Encouragement for schools to specialise in particular curriculum areas, e.g. ICT, languages – by 2007 85% of all secondary schools became specialist schools; in 2006 60% of pupils gained 5 A*-Cs at GCSE in specialist schools compared to only 48% in non-specialist schools Promotion of academies with aim for 200 by 2010; many are schools with formerly poor results and mainly working-class pupils; academies to raise results; however, in some academies they have improved, in others worsened

Criticism of New Labour Policies Labour policies to reduce inequality cosmetic, i.e. present positive image without reducing inequalities; e.g. EMAs encourage working-class students to stay in education until 18, but fees for university may deter them from going further (Whitty, 2002) Still strong focus on standards, testing & controlling what is learned in schools rather than developing individual abilities Continued existence of grammar & independent schools despite labour’s long-standing opposition; charitable status of independent schools about £100 million (Curtis, 2007)