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Unlock This CourseSince the 1980s, UK education has undergone significant changes with the introduction of market forces. This approach treats education more like a business, with schools competing for 'customers' (students and parents) and focusing on measurable results.
Key Definitions:
Marketisation in education is linked to neoliberal thinking that became popular in the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher's government. Neoliberalism promotes free markets, competition and reduced state control. In education, this meant treating schools more like businesses that need to compete for 'customers' (students).
Market forces in education include competition between schools, consumer (parental) choice, performance-related funding and published results (league tables). These principles aim to drive up standards by rewarding successful schools and encouraging underperforming schools to improve.
Several important government policies have shaped the marketisation of education in the UK:
This was the most significant education reform of the 20th century and introduced several market-based changes:
Standardised what schools teach, making it easier for parents to compare schools.
Schools gained control of their own budgets, encouraging them to manage resources efficiently.
Parents could apply to any school rather than just their local one, introducing competition.
Since the 1988 Act, additional policies have strengthened market forces in education:
Introduced in 2000 and expanded after 2010, academies operate outside local authority control. They have greater freedom over curriculum, staff pay and school hours. By 2022, over 75% of secondary schools in England were academies. Supporters claim this freedom drives innovation and raises standards, while critics argue it has increased inequality between schools.
The basic idea behind educational marketisation is that competition between schools will drive up standards for everyone:
Sociologists have identified ways that market forces in education can affect different social classes differently:
Research suggests middle-class families are often better positioned to benefit from educational marketisation:
This influential study found that middle-class parents were 'skilled choosers' who researched schools thoroughly, visited multiple options and understood league tables. Working-class parents were more likely to be 'disconnected choosers' who chose local schools based on convenience or family tradition. The researchers concluded that parental choice policies could actually increase class inequality in education.
Some sociologists argue that market forces encourage schools to 'cream-skim' – trying to attract students who are likely to achieve good results and avoid those who might require extra resources:
Market forces have changed how schools approach teaching and learning:
Schools prioritise exam results and other measurable outcomes that appear in league tables.
Subjects and skills that aren't measured in league tables may receive less attention.
Teachers work towards specific targets that contribute to the school's market position.
The evidence on whether market forces have improved educational achievement is mixed:
Sociologists continue to debate whether market forces are the best way to organise education. The key question remains: do market forces improve education for all students, or do they primarily benefit those who already have advantages?