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Recent UK Education Policy

Sociology: AQA GCSE, topic 3.3.8

Labour Government (1997-2010)

The Labour Government (1997-2010) was led by Prime Minister Tony Blair. They made significant changes to UK education policy.

Academies

Academies

  • These were usually failed schools that were taken over by businesses to tackle their underperformance.
Childcare

Childcare

  • Free childcare for every child pre-school age.
Sure Start (1999)

Sure Start (1999)

  • The aim of Sure Start was to support disadvantaged children with early intervention.
  • The hope was that these disadvantaged children would be able to reach the capabilities of their middle-class counterparts.
Tuition fees

Tuition fees

  • Tuition fees for university education were introduced.
EMA

EMA

  • EMA (Educational maintenance allowance).
  • The aim of EMA was to support disadvantaged pupils and motivate them to stay in education after the age of 16.

Coalition Government 2010

The Conservative & Liberal Democrat Coalition government (2010) was led by Prime Minister David Cameron. They undid many of the previous Labour government's changes to UK education policy and made their own changes.

EMA

EMA

  • The aim of EMA (Educational maintenance allowance) was to support disadvantaged pupils by ensuring that they stay in education after the age of 16.
  • This was scrapped by the Coalition government.
Tuition fees

Tuition fees

  • University tuition fees were increased to up to £9,000 a year.
  • This means that a lot of pupils leaving school at the age of 18 might be discouraged from going to university due to the cost entailed.
Tuition fees cont.

Tuition fees cont.

  • At the end of a 3-year university course, a student would have to pay back at least £27,000 (excluding living costs).
  • It is likely that disadvantaged pupils would not want to put this financial burden upon themselves.
  • Tuition fees are therefore an impediment rather than an extra motive from the government towards equal opportunities.
Student premium

Student premium

  • The aim of student premium was to help disadvantaged pupils via:
  • Increased classroom support.
  • Providing extra resources.
Other changes

Other changes

  • Free school meals (FSM) 2014: every child in the first 3 years of school was eligible.
  • 2 year A level courses.
  • GCSEs were changed to numerical grades (9-1).

Test yourself on Recent UK Education Policy

  • What was the aim of Sure Start (1999)?

  • Another change made by the Coalition government was raising University tuition fees to up to how much a year?

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