Politics And Policy Making In Education

This book provides an in-depth look at the changes in education policy and policy making during the Thatcherite decade, specifically focusing on the 1988 Education Reform Act. The book provides a fascinating insight into the way in which policy is made, as well as examining real-life political conflicts. It also provides a clear theoretical framework which illuminates the whole process of policy making.

Based on interviews with key actors in the policy-making process, this book maps the changes in education policy and policy making in the Thatcherite decade. The focus of the book is the 1988 Education Reform Act, its origins, purposes and effects, and it looks behind the scenes at the priorities of the politicians, civil servants and government advisers who were influential in making changes. Using direct quotations from senior civil servants and former secretaries of state it provides a fascinating insight into the way in which policy is made. The book focuses on real-life political conflicts, examining the way in which education policy was related to the ideal of society projected by Thatcherism. It looks in detail at the New Right government advisers and think tanks; the industrial lobby, addressing issues such as the National Curriculum, national testing and City Technical Colleges. The author sets these important issues within a clear theoretical framework which illuminates the whole process of policy making.