Education Policy Analysis

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This essay focuses on the shifts and changes in education policy and how it is linked to the issues of social justice. The educational inequalities are closely linked to policy decisions made by the successful government and these policies reveal the underpinning values and views of the interest groups who formed and influenced it. The access to education has a profound effect on life chances and as a result of social and economic conditions changes are made to education policy.
Bartlett and Burton (2012) suggest higher education was first designed for an elitist society however, the Labour government challenged this perspective as it believed in a socially democratic society where there were opportunities for all. However Clark (2006) suggests that providing individuals with the same opportunities allows disadvantaged students to suffer the results of inequalities. Although when ‘The Dearing Report (1997)’ was introduced it opened the doors for under-represented groups to access this field within education. Due to many under-represented groups now being able to access higher education it has led to an increase in widening participations, thus to make higher education more socially just. Stephens (1990) stated however as students had to fund their own living as well as making £1,000 contribution towards fees it was feared that it would potentially deter people from poorer socio-economic backgrounds from applying to higher education. By placing the cost onto the consumer, universities were now entering the market (neo-liberalism). Ward (2009) argued that it won’t be long before students have to bear more or eventually all the costs of higher education.
Whitty (2008) argues that while the Conservatives were responsible for the marke...

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...nd the winners in this case are women due to widening of access it can be seen as a silent revolution, however the losers although they tried to enter higher education is working class students due to dropout and non-competition rates. Males can also be considered as losers as the number of men entering higher education significantly drop as the amount of women rose.
To conclude education and politics are inextricably linked and both governments adapted and amended education policy to suit their needs and values which lead to new inequalities. Without dealing with the uneven playing field highlighted the inequalities in economic, cultural and social capital that still existed. ‘The Dearing Report’ wanted to widen participation however all it seemed to do was increase the gap in between middle-class and working-class people leading to new social divisions occurring.

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