Categories: uncategorized
Date: 05 November 2005 12:32:01
The governments proposals for the increased marketisation of the education system are discussed in this Baptist Times article . Within it Steve Chalk and others express concern about the competition aspect of the proposals, whilst at the same time alaying fears about that this could lead to fundamentalists running schools, and influencing the curriculum in an unhealthy way.
The article to me sums up a problem we face and why a number of Christian groups, including the one Chalk represents must take responsibility for it. The government is seeking to implement a fairly radical New Right agenda in education, (removing schools wholesale from LEA control, increasing competition and in turn parental choice further arguably to raise standards). Whilst this is likely to benefit middle class students it is likely to further disadvantage working class students (due to the types of entry criteria that are likely to be introduced, etc) leading to the description I described in an October entry where the schools at the bottom are left undersubscibed and used as dumping grounds for those with special educational needs, particularly behavioural problems and the local underclass who don't have the material or cultural capital to get their kids into the alternatives, as the local parents who can afford it go for the "anywhere but options"
The only reason they are able to try and implement this type of agenda, (which quite frankly makes Thatchers 1988 Education Reform Act look like a piece of socialist legislation) is because the small number of initial academies and educational establishments set up under the PFI scheme have been successful largely, but not exclusively, due to middle class Christian involvement. Their success and support on a small scale has encouraged the goverment to believe that they can go much further along the road of partial privatisation of our education system.
Whilst I do not believe we should expect the state to provide everything, I think there are areas that they are specialised at; that we pay taxes for that they should keep control of, whilst asking the appropriate outside experts for advice, Education and the Health Service are the two key areas.