What can you recall about Marxism?

By 1979

Most children are in comprehensive schools, but not all. Some grammar schools still survive.

Butler Education Act 1945

Introduces free secondary education for all children.

11+ examination selects for either grammar or secondary modern

1988 Education Reform Act

New Right government introduces National Curriculum which all children must study. This is a list of subjects and what must be taught.

1988 Education Reform Act

Standardised Assessment Test (SATS) introduced and children are tested at 7, 11, 14, and GCSE

1979

Margaret Thatcher’s New Right Conservative government is elected. This changes the philosophy of education to one where equality is not important, but ‘free market’ economy takes over.

1980 Assisted Places Scheme

Gifted children are given funding to attend private and public schools thus subsidising the income of independent schools

Grammar schools fill up with the children of the middle classes and there was wastage of working class talent.

1965

Labour government instructs all Education authorities to plan comprehensive schools so all children have access to same opportunities

1988 ERA

Schools are given control over their own finances and power is taken from Local Education Authorities and given to school governors

1988

GCSE introduced to replace GCE and CSE for 16 year olds

1963

Robbins Report extends university provision for more people – Polytechnics (now Metropolitan Universities) are set up

1951

GCE and A level examinations introduced for pupils at grammar schools

1996

GNVQ examinations introduced to encourage practical and applied subjects in schools

1973

School leaving age rises to 16 for all children

1994

A* examinations introduced at GCSE for the better candidates

1973

CSE examinations introduced for pupils at secondary modern schools

1979

First education act of Thatcher government is to repeal the laws that promote comprehensive schools

2000

Reform of ‘A’ level exams into 6 unit modules with AS for 17 year olds

What is Marxism?

Marxists see capitalist society as being ruled by the economy.

The minority, the ruling class, rule the majority, namely the workers.

The bourgeoisie have the wealth and the power to rule.

The proletariat are exploited because they are not treated fairly. This is the basis of class inequality.

What can Marxists tell us about education and differences in attainment?

• The education system is a conspiracy which exists to deny the children of the working class access to an understanding of their true class position.

Marxism summarised

• Education reproduces the inequalitiesof Capitalist Society.

• Education serves to legitimate these inequalities under the guise of Meritocracy.

Louis Althusser

• Althusser believed that education socialises working class children into accepting their subordinate status to the middle class.

• Education conveys the ideology of the ruling class.

• Education prepares individuals for the world of work, in order to accept their position in a capitalist society.

Bowles and Gintis

• Bowles and Gintis (1976), say the main function of education in capitalist countries is to create workers.

• Suggest that educational inequality mirrors the inequality of wider society.

• If capitalism is to succeed it must have a hard working and obedient workforce that is too divided to challenge the authority of the rulers.

• The education system succeeds in fulfilling this aim by means of the hidden curriculum

What do you think of these ideas? Note

down what you agree with and what you disagree with.

Newspaper articles…

Read each article and answer the following questions:

1. What is the story about?2. Why might a Marxist be interested in it?3. Do you think this is anything to be

concerned about?

4. Of all of the articles you have read which one do you think will effect the future of education most? Explain why

Ivan Illich (1973)

• Schools kill creativity, insist on conformity, and offer indoctrination into capitalistic society.

• Children learn to accept authority in an unthinking fashion and this leads them to accept government dictats in the same way.

Paul Willis (1977)

• Did an ethnography of twelve anti-school boys ‘the lads’

• These boys rejected school and other children within it, presenting themselves as superior

• Willis claims that working class children choose to fail in school as a rejection of capitalism

• Their rejection of school is an act of resistance

Resistance is futile

Two Marxist viewpoints

• Traditional Marxist

Louis Althusser

Schools pass on messages that people accept without question. They are socialised into accepting capitalism

• Neo- Marxism

Paul Willis

Children can see through the ideology, but it doesn’t matter. The reality is low pay work, poverty and oppression regardless.

What are the strengths of Marxism?

It points out how ideology is transmitted within schools via the hidden curriculum.

It recognises conflict of interest in schools; not everyone shares values.

It points out the inequalities of both opportunity and outcome in the system

And the weaknesses?

It assumes teachers are unaware of class dynamics and are all middle class agents

Many working class children do succeed in the education system

It overemphasises class and ignores other inequalities: ethnicity and gender