CRITICISMS OF THE MARKETISATION OF EDUCATION
The free market in education, with more independence for schools and competition
between them, as a means of raising standards and increasing parental choice has been very
controversial.
THE MYTH OF PARENTOCRACY: THE MIDDLE CLASS HAS GAINED THE MOST
BALL et al (1996) – parents are now The middle-class have been able to
seen as consumers of education with make greater use of parental choice and
good parenting seen as taking on the open enrolment.
responsibilities of school choice.
However, parental choice follows a They have higher levels of income,
pattern related to social class education, and social and cultural
differences and contributes to the capital so know how to work the system
reproduction of social class to get the schools they want.
inequalities in education.
The middle-class are better placed than
working-class parents to:
TOUGH AND BROOKS (2007) –
better educated middle-class families Shop around and find the best
with higher incomes are more likely schools
to make choices based on a school’s Understand and compare
performance while those from schools in the league tables
disadvantaged working-class families Know more about how to assess
are more likely to choose schools OFSTED school inspection
that are near to their homes and reports and what constitutes a
which their
NO children’s friends attend. ‘good’ school
Afford more easily to move into
catchment areas of the highest-
PARENTOCRACY IS A MYTH: not all
performing schools
parents have the same freedom to
Afford higher transport costs,
exercise parental choice. Some of
giving their children a wider
the highest performing schools carry
choice of schools
out covert selection and deliberately
Know more about how popular
try to dissuade poorer parents from
schools allocate places, and to
applying – giving them the
make more effective use of
impression that their school ‘is not
appeals procedures should they
for the likes of them’.
be refused a place at their
chosen school.
The education system is SOCIALLY SELECTIVE – the higher the social class of the parents, the better are the schools to
which they send their children, and these schools stay better because they are supported by advantaged middle-class
parents whose children take up most of the places.
1|Page
The free market in education, with more independence for schools and competition
between them, as a means of raising standards and increasing parental choice has been very
controversial.
THE MYTH OF PARENTOCRACY: THE MIDDLE CLASS HAS GAINED THE MOST
BALL et al (1996) – parents are now The middle-class have been able to
seen as consumers of education with make greater use of parental choice and
good parenting seen as taking on the open enrolment.
responsibilities of school choice.
However, parental choice follows a They have higher levels of income,
pattern related to social class education, and social and cultural
differences and contributes to the capital so know how to work the system
reproduction of social class to get the schools they want.
inequalities in education.
The middle-class are better placed than
working-class parents to:
TOUGH AND BROOKS (2007) –
better educated middle-class families Shop around and find the best
with higher incomes are more likely schools
to make choices based on a school’s Understand and compare
performance while those from schools in the league tables
disadvantaged working-class families Know more about how to assess
are more likely to choose schools OFSTED school inspection
that are near to their homes and reports and what constitutes a
which their
NO children’s friends attend. ‘good’ school
Afford more easily to move into
catchment areas of the highest-
PARENTOCRACY IS A MYTH: not all
performing schools
parents have the same freedom to
Afford higher transport costs,
exercise parental choice. Some of
giving their children a wider
the highest performing schools carry
choice of schools
out covert selection and deliberately
Know more about how popular
try to dissuade poorer parents from
schools allocate places, and to
applying – giving them the
make more effective use of
impression that their school ‘is not
appeals procedures should they
for the likes of them’.
be refused a place at their
chosen school.
The education system is SOCIALLY SELECTIVE – the higher the social class of the parents, the better are the schools to
which they send their children, and these schools stay better because they are supported by advantaged middle-class
parents whose children take up most of the places.
1|Page
