1. New Labour educational policies since 1997

2. Rational behind New Labour educational policies
Recognise that education is key to economic success
Need for all pupils to have good basic skills in numeracy and literacy
Concern that some groups are not succeeding in education with negative effects for society, communities & individuals
Sought to reduce inequality of achievement and promote greater diversity, choice & competition

3. Unchanged Conservative Policies
League tables
Ofsted
Power to take over failing schools
Vocational education
National Curriculum
SATs
Formula Funding

4. New Policies: Reducing Inequality
Reduce primary class sizes under 30
Literacy & numeracy hours in all primary schools
After-school hoemwork clubs and Easter revision schools
Education Action Zones with extra resources
Aim Higher programme to raise aspirations of groups who are under-represented in higher education
EMAs to encourage students to stay on post-16
Parents in areas with grammar schools could hold vote to see change to comprehensive
Students in higher education have to pay part of course fees – more places, but at cost
Proposal to raise school leaving age to 18 by 2015, no more Neets (not in education, employment or training)

5. New Policies: Increasing Diversity & Choice
Tony Blair (2002): need to move to ‘post-comprehensive’ era; ‘one size fits all, mass production’ needs scraping; new system where aptitudes & needs of individual child are at the centre
Encouragement for schools to specialise in particular curriculum areas, e.g. ICT, languages – by % of all secondary schools became specialist schools; in % of pupils gained 5 A*-Cs at GCSE in specialist schools compared to only 48% in non-specialist schools
Promotion of academies with aim for 200 by 2010; many are schools with formerly poor results and mainly working-class pupils; academies to raise results; however, in some academies they have improved, in others worsened

6. Criticism of New Labour Policies
Labour policies to reduce inequality cosmetic, i.e. present positive image without reducing inequalities; e.g. EMAs encourage working-class students to stay in education until 18, but fees for university may deter them from going further (Whitty, 2002)
Still strong focus on standards, testing & controlling what is learned in schools rather than developing individual abilities
Continued existence of grammar & independent schools despite labour’s long-standing opposition; charitable status of independent schools about £100 million (Curtis, 2007)