Responding to poverty through education and teacher education initiatives: a critical evaluation of key trends in government policy in England 1997-2015

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative critique of key education and teacher education policies in England adopted by New Labour (1997-2010) and the Coalition government (2010-15). It focuses on direct measures intended to alleviate the effects of poverty on young people's educational outcomes, and on teacher education policies with implications for preparing teachers to tackle such problems. It questions the consistency, coherence and effectiveness of the policies pursued by each administration and analyses the similarities and differences between them. Particular attention is paid to the conceptions of professional knowledge and educational research that underpin their assumptions about the role of teachers' professional learning in seeking to break the link between young people's socioeconomic status and their educational outcomes. While policies implemented by both administrations are deeply imbued with neo-liberal perspectives, our analysis highlights important differences, the effects of which may become more apparent as the Conservatives exercise their independent authority over education.

Learning the price of poverty across the UK

“…England is the only jurisdiction in which the government directly controls education, and arguably the one in which a strong neo-liberal commitment to the market dominates in education alongside neo-conservative curriculum reform (Ball, 2016; Burn and Childs, 2016). In each other jurisdiction, education policy is mediated through a devolved government or executive assembly.…”