Marketisation

Using material from item A and elsewhere assess the claim that the main aim of education policies in the last 25years has been to create an education market.
Marketisation is becoming an ever popular occurrence within schools today; they believe in the importance of having funding. As well as this, the better funded schools have the most popularity within circles of parents. Therefore meaning a child with higher prospects is more likely to attend these schools.
One way in which a school advertises their achievements is by making league tables accessible to the public and posting them onto the internet. By doing this, all parents are aware of the success the schools have in ensuring that all students earn a minimum of 5 A*-C’s. Therefore parents make an abrupt decision on schools before they have even visited them. It is all centred on competition when different schools have to strive to receive the most successful pupils. Each college tries to “win over” parents by offering the best of everything; the best departments, the best teachers, the best catering, the best facilities and so on. It is almost as though the parents are seen as customers within the “Education Market” that have to be persuaded to buy.
They parade all of their achievements on open days and parents evenings, showing all they have to offer that can create a brighter future for their children. As well as this, schools publish a prospectus that are available anywhere to advertise their school. It shows achievements and success rates. Also, it shows the different students that have gone through school and go on to do great things; studying at a high ranking university. It can also withhold the opinions of the current students as they will always have something positive to say about the school.
Other than successful exam results, Ofsted Reports count within the role of education. If a school gains a good report, they suddenly become more appealing to parents. Whereas those schools that have failed the Ofsted Report are under surveillance and at risk of being closed down unless they show drastic improvements. They immediately become unappealing in the public eye and loose funding and popularity.
On the other hand, a policy was once in place which provided stability for disadvantaged social groups. This was known as the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). This was put in place by the government to help students that are studying yet cannot afford the equipment to make the experience worthwhile. It benefitted many parents because the pressure of costs wasn’t as influential. Therefor they introduced £30 a week allowance. However, that benefit was then stopped in England yet it stays active within Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It was announced to be scrapped on the 20th of October 2010 as a part of budget cuts. It was replaced with a £180million Bursary Scheme that is paid directly to the education establishment rather than being placed into the hands of the student.
To conclude, the schooling today is widely based on an Education Market and having to constantly win over parents just so they will consider sending their child to it. It is based on competition and is all about being the best. It goes in a constant chain; the more successful exam results, the more success rates are on the league tables, the better reports from Ofsted creating the more applicants to the school which then creates an increase in popularity and it all adds up to the main factor, funding.