EMA are paid weekly to students that come from low income background. This move was invented in order to give equal opportunities to materially and culturally deprived family back grounds so that their achievement levels improve within the academic. Other policy such as Compensatory education policies (CEP’s) was introduced by Tony Blair in 1997 and was aimed to extend the academic period among school children from the age of 16 to the age of 18. This policy was aimed to reduce the socio-economic disadvantages which could include restricting equal educational opportunities from students from culturally deprived background originally focusing on working class children in UK. There are two arguments within the educational system;
SOCIOLOGY THEORIES SOCIOLOGY THEORIES _____________________________________________________________________ Functionalism According to the functionalist perspective each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society’s functioning as a whole. The government, or state, provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends on to keep itself running. That is, the family is dependent on the school to help children grow up to have good jobs so that they can raise and support their own families. In this process, the children become law-abiding, taxpaying citizens, who in turn support the state. Functionalists believe that society is held together by social consensus or cohesion, in which members of the society agree upon, and work together to achieve what is best for the community as a whole.
So society is said to be meritocratic, as everybody can achieve if they want to. Durkheim (2002) Believes that there are fixed rules for all and by transmitting the norms and values across society, it is then fair and meritocratic. Marxists on the other hand believe that meritocracy is a myth and that it hides the truth of the inequality in society. Sociologists argue that the processes in school such as the hidden curriculum helps to keep society unequal. The hidden curriculum has a big influence on pupils, its one thing to teach the child educationally but if the child is treated unjustly (no voice) by the school system then a much more negative message is given to those pupils about the nature of society.
The family in turn will rely on the educated child to grow up and have a good job, so that when they have their own children they are able to pay taxes towards their children’s education and so on. Unfortunately in poverty or poor areas it can be difficult for society to change the cycle. This can delay or even prevent improvement. For example, if parents aren’t working and therefore not paying their taxes, this could lead to crime which could mean that the local government cannot maintain high educational standards. Teenagers leaving school cannot find good jobs and can result in them turning to vandalism; drugs and many may not find or even look for a job.
Conclusion -> draw together main ideas/arguments An outsider does not fit into society and they will do what they see to be right. Although the legal system is meant to be fair, it is only fair to society. If some one is different society tries to outcast them. More often than not, justice does not reach as far as the outsider. Justice is what is seen to be right and just by society and this means that society is catered for.
The problem must solely lie in the schooling environment itself; more specifically, the structure of the educational system. Our current educational system for public schools is run by a government-operated system of firms. These firms are protected from competition because of the “free” education that results from subsides that the local district public schools receive. Economists frown on this because, from an economic aspect, the consumers are given very little choice in the market because of the lack of competition. To increase consumer choice in this market, people have devised several alternate
That parents stress to children the importance of education all their school lives, but they continue to give money things that are less important, instead they should put money towards the teachers who wants to help make a difference in every child's life. Barber believes that parents should actually display their actions that they care and value their education. He explains who are to blame for the lack of quality education in America. The generations before the young and the government have a partial blame in why the school system is failing. Barber's argument is more superior, because he takes the sociopolitical context of education in to account, where as Henry does not.
Structural functionalism is a theory that is used to describe a society that functions on a few key assumptions. First, society is constructed by interdependent system of parts. Second, no part can be understood individually, that is to say that the system as a whole cannot be understood if one part is missing. Third, social order between individuals and organizations of society has to share norms and values in order for society to function properly. Fourth, social change does not occur rapidly, instead it is a regulated process which ensures that citizens and organizations adapt to social change properly.
Also, because the teachers have middle class values as well, the cultural deprivation theorists believe that they will have a bias against the working class kids and therefore they will not be able to teach them properly since their values and cultures conflict. Compensatory education is a policy that was designed to deal with the problem of cultural deprivation, by providing extra resources to schools and communities in deprived areas. Compensatory education programmes were introduced to intervene early in the socialisation process to compensate children for deprivation they experience at home. The most comprehensive programme was Head Start. It involved health care, social services, and education.
Merton???? The family passes on culture, teaching children right from wrong and how to behave within society. The government (institution) provides education for children, on which the family is dependent to help children grow up enabling them to get better jobs. This is cyclical because it then is passed on to the next generation. In return, families pay tax on which the state depends.