ERIC Number: EJ1324735
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0963-8253
EISSN: N/A
The Impact of Research Evidence on Education Policy: How Members of Parliament Respond to Evidence in Relation to Secondary Selective Education
Bainbridge, Alan; Bartley, Joanne; Troppe, Tom
FORUM: for promoting 3-19 comprehensive education, v63 n2 p161-168 Sum 2021
A detailed analysis of "Hansard" transcripts was undertaken to explore the dialogue used in parliamentary debates and committee meetings where reference was made to grammar schools between October 2015 to March 2019. During this period, the first new grammar school for fifty years had been approved, along with the establishment of the £50 million selective school expansion fund. Detailed qualitative analysis highlighted the widely disproportionate use of the term 'good' in relation to grammar schools. It is argued that 'good' instead of 'outstanding' or 'excellent' is chosen in relation to grammar schools as 'good' has moral overtones that go beyond reported educational standards. Proportionately, the number of comprehensive schools rated good or outstanding would need to be referred to in conjunction with 'good' 6698 times, not the forty-nine times this actually happened. Campaigners for comprehensive education need to reclaim the discourse of 'goodness' for all schools.
Descriptors: Selective Admission, Educational Policy, Legislators, Educational Finance, Moral Values, Educational Legislation, Educational Quality, School Effectiveness, Evidence, Secondary Schools, Standards, Foreign Countries
Lawrence Wishart. Central Books Building, Freshwater Road, Chadwell Heath, London RM8 1RX, UK. Tel: 44-20-8597-0090; e-mail: forum@lwbooks.co.uk; Web site: https://journals.lwbooks.co.uk/forum
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A