![[PDF]](/pb-assets/Icons/adobe-pdf-icon-1498649896243.png){kind=icon}
Abstract
In this article we begin by discussing ‘ideology’ as a theoretical construct, and the interconnections between policy and ideology in the education system in England. We analyse the main principles of education policies that can be broadly defined from Left to Right, according to the following ideologies: Marxism/Socialism/Radical Leftism, Social Democracy, Liberal-Progressivism, Neoliberal Conservatism and Neoconservatism. We then move on to analysing responses to inequalities, as informed by different ideological positions, and identify three main types of responses: (1) conforming; (2) reforming; and (3) transforming. The article concludes by addressing some historical developments in terms of equality in early years and identifies key implications for leadership and management.
Keywords Ideology, policy, equality, inequality, radical left, neoliberal, neoconservative, early years
References
Section:
|
Althusser, L (2001) [1971] Ideology and state apparatuses. In: Althusser, L Lenin and Philosophy and Other Essays, pp.85–126. London: New Left Books. Google Scholar | |
|
Bredekamp, S (1991) Redeveloping early childhood education: A response to Kessler. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 6: 199–209. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Broadhead, P, Wood, L, Howard, J (2010) Conclusion: Understanding playful learning and playful pedagogies – Towards a new research agenda. In: Broadhead, P, Howard, J, Wood, E (eds) Play and Learning in the Early Years, pp.177–185. London: Sage. Google Scholar | |
|
Cole, M (2008) Marxism and Educational Theory: Origins and Issues. London: Routledge. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Cole, M, Motta, S (2013) Constructing Twenty-first Century Socialism in Latin America: The Role of Radical Education. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Google Scholar | |
|
DFE (Department for Education) (2014) Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for Children from Birth to Five. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/299391/DFE-00337-2014.pdf (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
DfEE (Department for Education and Employment) (2000) Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. London: DfEE and QCA. Google Scholar | |
|
Drummond, MJ (2000) Comparisons in early years education: History, fact and fiction. Early Childhood Research and Practice 2(1). Available at: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v2n1/drummond.html (accessed 3 October 2013). Google Scholar | |
|
Eagleton, T (1991) Ideology. London: Verso. Google Scholar | |
|
File, N (2012) The relationship between child development and early childhood curriculum. In: File, N, Mueller, JJ, Wisneski, DB (eds) Curriculum in Early Childhood Education: Re-examined, Rediscovered, Renewed, pp.146–159. New York: Taylor & Francis. Google Scholar | |
|
Freedland, J (2013) Margaret Thatcher’s Britain: We still live in the land Maggie built. The Guardian, 8 April. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/apr/08/britain-land-margaret-thatcher-built (accessed 3 October 2013). Google Scholar | |
|
Freire, P (1972) The Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Google Scholar | |
|
Gamble, A (1994) (2nd Ed.) The Free Economy and the Strong State. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Hill, D (2001a) State theory and the Neo-Liberal reconstruction of schooling and teacher education: A structuralist Neo-Marxist critique of Postmodernist, Quasi-Postmodernist, and Culturalist Neo-Marxist theory. The British Journal of Sociology of Education 22 (1): 137–157. Google Scholar | ISI | |
|
Hill, D (2001b) Equality, ideology and education policy. In: Hill, D, Cole, M (eds) Schooling and Equality: Fact, Concept and Policy. London: Kogan Page, pp.7–34. Available at: http://www.ieps.org.uk/papersdh.php (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
Hill, D (2004) Books, banks and bullets: Controlling our minds – the global project of imperialistic and militaristic neo-liberalism and its effect on education policy. In: Policy Futures in Education, 2(3−4): pp. 504–522 (Theme: Marxist Futures in Education). Available at: http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/viewpdf.asp?j=pfie&vol=2&issue=3&year=2004&article=6_Hill_PFIE_2_3-4_web&id=81.158.104.245 [accessed 3 October 2014]. Google Scholar | |
|
Hill, D (2006a) Class, capital and education in this neoliberal/neoconservative period. Information for Social Change 23. Available at: http://libr.org/isc/issues/ISC23/B1%20Dave%20Hill.pdf (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
Hill, D (2006b) New Labour’s education policy. In: Kassem, D, Mufti, E, Robinson, J (eds) Education Studies: Issues and Critical Perspectives, pp.73–86. Buckingham: Open University Press. Google Scholar | |
|
Hill, D (2009) Theorising politics and the curriculum: Understanding and addressing inequalities through critical pedagogy and critical policy analysis. In: Hill, D, Helavaara Robertson, L (eds) Equality in the Primary School: Promoting Good Practice Across the Curriculum, pp.293–319. London: Continuum. Google Scholar | |
|
Hill, D (2010) A socialist manifesto for education. Available at: http://socialistresistance.org/905/a-socialist-manifesto-for-education and at http://www.ieps.org.uk/PDFs/Socialist_Manifesto_for_Education.pdf. Google Scholar | |
|
Hill, D (ed) (2013) Immiseration Capitalism and Education: Austerity, Resistance and Revolt. Brighton: Institute for Education Policy Studies. Google Scholar | |
|
Hill, D, Boxley, S (2007) Critical teacher education for economic, environmental and social justice: An ecosocialist manifesto. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies 5(2). Available at: http://www.jceps.com/wp-content/uploads/PDFs/05-2-02.pdf (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
James, A, Prout, A (1997) Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood (2nd ed.). London: Falmer. Google Scholar | |
|
James, A, Jenks, C, Prout, A (1998) Theorizing Childhood. Cambridge: Polity Press. Google Scholar | |
|
Larrain, J (1979) The Concept Of Ideology. London: Hutchinson. Google Scholar | |
|
Lloyd, E (2012) The marketisation of early years education and child-care in England. In: Miller, L, Hevey, D (eds) Policy Issues in the Early Years, pp.41–61. London: Sage. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
McLaren, P (2005) Capitalists and Conquerors: A Critical Pedagogy Against Empire. New York: Rowman and Littlefield. Google Scholar | |
|
McLaren, P, Cole, M (2014) Austerity/immiseration capitalism: What can we learn from Venezuelan Socialism? Truthout, 11 June. Available at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/24264-austerity-immiseration-capitalism-what-can-we-learn-from-venezuelan-socialism (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
McLaren, P, Farahmandpur, R (2005) Teaching Against Global Imperialism. New York: Rowman & Littlefield. Google Scholar | |
|
Marx, K [1859] (1977) A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy. Moscow: Progress Publishers. Available at: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1859/critique-pol-economy/preface.htm (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
Payler, J, Wood, L (2014) Early Years, Policy Advice and Future Research Agendas: A BERA Early Childhood Special Interest Group /TACTYC: Association for the Professional Development of Early Years Educators Collaboration. London: BERA and TACTYC. Google Scholar | |
|
Picketty, T (2014) Capitalism in the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Rentoul, J (2013) Intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich. The Independent Blog, 14 Feb 2013. Available at: http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/14/intensely-relaxed-about-people-getting-filthy-rich/ (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
Rinaldi, C (2005) In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia. London: Routledge Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Robertson, LH (2007) Bilingual children’s story of learning to read. In Conteh, J, Martin, P, Robertson, LH (eds) Multilingual Learning Stories in Schools and Communities in Britain. Stoke-On-Trent: Tentham Books. Google Scholar | |
|
Robertson, LH (2009) In the crossfire: Early years foundation stage, national curriculum and every child matters. In Hill, D, Robertson, LH (eds) Equality in the Primary School: Promoting Good Practice Across the Curriculum, pp.7–24. London: Continuum. Google Scholar | |
|
Srinivasan, P, Cruz, M (2014) Children colouring: Speaking ‘colour difference’ with Diversity dolls. Pedagogy, Culture and Society 22(2). Google Scholar | |
|
Stephens, WB (1999) Education in Britain, 1750–1914. London: Palgrave. Google Scholar | |
|
Thane, P (2011) The history of early years child care. Based on a presentation at the Department for Education on 6 October 2011. Available at: http://www.historyandpolicy.org/seminars/seminar/department-for-education-series-1-2011-12 (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
Tomlinson, S (2005) (2nd Ed.) Education in a Post-Welfare Society. Maidenhead, Berks: Open University Press. Google Scholar | |
|
UNICEF (1989) The Convention on the Rights of the Child. Available at: http://www.unicef.org/crc/ (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
UNICEF (2009) Rights Respecting Schools Awards. London: Unicef. Available at: http://www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa (accessed 3 October 2014). Google Scholar | |
|
Whitbread, N (1972) The Evolution of the Nursery–Infant School: A History of Infant and Nursery Education in Britain, 1800–1970. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Google Scholar | |
|
Wilkinson, R, Pickett, K (2009) The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. London: Allen Lane. Google Scholar | |
|
Wood, E (2010) Developing integrated pedagogical approaches to play and learning. In: Broadhead, P, Howard, J, Wood, E (eds) Play and Learning in the Early Years, pp.9–26. London: Sage. Google Scholar | |
|
Wrigley, T (2003) Schools of Hope: A New Agenda for School Improvement. London: Trentham Books. Google Scholar | |
|
Wrigley, T (2006) Another School is Possible. London: Bookmarks. Google Scholar |
