Full Description
The United Kingdom's Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government 2010-15 was responsible for some of the most radical changes to education policy for decades. Beyond Every Child Matters provides a critical overview of developments in education and social welfare policy in the years following the 2010 general election. It explores the conceptual background of a 'Big Society' used to frame Coalition policy and shows how the underlying spectre of neoliberalism both creates issues for policy attention and undermines ensuing policy solutions.
This book charts those changes which have impacted upon education and schooling in England and Wales and is divided into two parts. Part I analyses Conservative philosophical thought and policy discussions that underpin the social, welfare and education policies introduced under the Conservative-led coalition government of 2010-15 and the subsequent Conservative administration since 2015. Part II looks at these policies in detail and concludes with a discussion of possible alternative policy approaches.
Set against a backdrop of unprecedented economic crisis and austerity, Beyond Every Child Matters will be of interest to students of education and welfare policy, academics and researchers.
Contents
Part I 1. From no society to Big Society: Reinventing Conservatism 2. Philosophical underpinning of the Big Society 3. Philip Blond: The new social configuration of the Big Society 4. Antecedents of Conservative political thought 5. Twentieth-century ideological conservatism 6. Models of community 7. Small government, Big Society: Constructing a policy narative 8. Neoliberalism and the market Part II 9. Public service reform: (more) open public services 10. Education and social welfare 11. English education policy: The philosophy of Michael Oakeshott 12. Education and schooling 1: The importance of teaching (but not necessarily teachers) 13. Education and schooling 2: Back to where we started 14. Sure Start. Undermined by neoliberalism: Inequalities and the language of disadvantage 15. Families, children and young people: Challenge and opportunity 16. Where do we go from here? The case for a socially responsible system 17. Conclusion
