The policy and practice of music education in England, 2010–2020

Since the introduction of the National Plan for Music Education there have been significant changes in music education within England. Whilst some celebrate figures that report increased access and engagement, many teachers and others continue to have legitimate concerns regarding the quality of the music education on offer in schools and Music Education Hubs. There are concerns that the provision of music education is incoherent and patchy across the country. Many would argue that the opportunity to access high-quality music education has become a ‘postcode lottery’. There is a sense that the fragmentation of music education as a result of curriculum reforms and the diversity of approaches taken by Music Education Hubs and other bodies has significantly enhanced this incoherence. This article seeks to review the policy and practice of music education in England over the last 10 years. It draws on recent research from various sources and maintains a particular focus on government policy and the consequences of this for the field as a whole. It reflects on how things could be improved in the future. It argues for a clearer focus on a practitioner-led approach to research and advocacy, in particular one led by the notion of ‘policy as practice’ rather than continuing with the current approach and its intrinsic failings.     

Lifelong education and adult education — the state of the theory

Some years ago when the concept of lifelong education was in vogue and when there was a constant flow of literature about it being published by a core of writers gravitating around or employed by UNESCO, the constant warning was not to confuse the concept of lifelong education with adult education because this would unduly limit the concept and distort the educational philosophy it represented. This warning has not, generally, been heeded by writers and the expression ‘lifelong education’ has consequently lost the distinctive meaning writers like Dave, Cropley, Gelpi and Lengrand tried to give it in the 1970s and early 1980s. In 1979 Cropley edited a book called Lifelong Education: A Stocktaking which, in fact, tried to take stock of the state of the theory and to identify the problems with its promotion. Gelpi took up the latter task in some detail in a subsequent article but failed to address certain problems with the concept of lifelong education itself, raised earlier by Lawson. This paper goes over all this ground and then tries to clarify some confusions with the concept of lifelong education by examining two different interpretations or views of lifelong education, the ‘maximalist’ and the ‘minimalist’, which have evolved through the literature of the subject, identifying the former with the core of writers mentioned above. It then examines the role of adult education within the two interpretations, arguing that the ‘maximalist’ view has largely disappeared to the detriment of adult education, and reproposing it anew to adult education writers and practitioners.     

When numbers count: The erasure of females’ equity status in higher education?

In recent years the pendulum has certainly swung towards women in higher education participation, but variations in the way these statistics have been calculated account for some of this swing. More importantly, women still receive less vocational and economic benefit than males from this increased participation. Despite over twenty years of gender equity policies and strategies in education, women still lag behind men on important indicators. Until women gain a greater share of higher degrees, labour force participation and earnings from income, their levels of participation in higher education should be maintained in order to preserve the gains that women have made and to ensure that they continue to improve their position relative to men. Far from removing women’s equity status, their equity status should be reconfirmed and efforts to break down sex-differentiated participation in education and the work force should be renewed.     

The quality of equity? Reframing gender,development and education in the post-2020 landscape

The year 2015 marks the twentieth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, with a goal to contribute to gender equality globally. As scholars continue in their quest to ‘take stock’ of the ways in which gender and education work in tandem to achieve greater gender equality, we observe a revival in interest regarding conversations on gender and education. These conversations cover a gamut of related issues, including teaching and achievement as well as a number of intersecting issues such as gender-based violence. Within the conversation has been a continued focus on the role of equity primarily defined as access and opportunity. This paper explores the context of quality as it relates to equity in education and addresses the problems that are still left on the margins. Our goal is to take stock and assess the strength of evidence and to provide directions for future research.     

The changing role of the state vis-à-vis higher education in a global context

Since the 1980s, a series of reforms that aimed to reconstruct the relationships among the government, the university, and the student (consumer) have been initiated in the systems of higher education. In varying degrees, these systems of higher education were affected by market forces. Given this, the relationship between the state and higher education has also been changed significantly. The purpose of this paper is to view recent changes in higher education in the historic context of globalization. It attempts to trace the source of these changes and to depict, against a new background, the new role of the state vis-à-vis higher education. It also seeks to illuminate the rationale behind the changing role of the state. By using the experiences of selected countries as illustrations, this paper will discuss the salient features of the state’s role change in various contexts. __________ Translated from Beijing Daxue Jiaoyu Pinglun 北京大学教育评论 (Peking University Education Review), 2007, 5 (1): 138–149     

The effect of prior education on students’ competency in digital logic: the case of ultraorthodox Jewish students

In line with the growing interest in extending the diversity of CS students, we examined the performance of a unique group of students studying an introductory course in Digital logic: ultraorthodox Jewish men, whose previous education was based mostly on studying Talmud and who lacked a conventional high-school education. We used questions from the Digital Logic Concept Inventory . We compared the results to those of religious Jewish men with a conventional high-school education, and to the results reported in the literature. The ultraorthodox group performed better than the other groups in tasks that concerned number representation. No other statistically significant differences were found. Talk-aloud protocols revealed that the ultraorthodox students utilized a viable conceptual understanding in their performance. We can conclude that students’ unique, alternative prior education should not be merely viewed as an obstacle to their academic studies, but also as a potential source for strengths.     

The governance of the South African higher education system: balancing state control and state supervision in co-operative governance?

The publication of the National Commission for Higher Education (NCHE) in 1996 was hailed as the first systematic attempt to map out a policy terrain for higher education in South Africa since the elections of April 1994. Its recommendations, particularly on the governance of higher education, elicited much discussion and debate. The debate continued (and continues) with the publication of the Green and White Papers, the Bill on Higher Education, and the Higher Education Act (HEA) in late 1997.This paper explores and seeks to clarify the emerging model of educational governance that has been accepted by the Ministry of Education in South Africa as the basis for managing and transforming the inherited system of higher education. Specifically, the paper considers the philosophy of “co-operative governance” and the governance recommendations of the NCHE Report and the HEA. These documents are examined in relation to state control and state supervision models of higher education governance. The paper concludes by considering the politics of policy development in the transformation of the South African higher education governance system.     

Marxist state theory and state autonomy theory: the case of ‘race’ education in initial teacher education

Abstract

In recent times, there have been a number of critiques of Marxist and neo‐Marxist analyses of the state and education policy. These have drawn on postmodernist, ‘quasi‐postmodernist’ and state autonomy perspectives. While the postmodernist and ‘quasi‐postmodernist’ approaches have attracted critical response, to date, the state autonomy perspective has, to our knowledge, gone unchallenged. To address this theoretical lacuna, this paper analyses one writer's attempt, via an historical case study, to uphold state autonomy theory by detailing the ongoing relationship between one quasi‐state agency and the practice of ‘race’ education in initial teacher education. We argue that there are serious conceptual weaknesses in this latest attempt to apply state autonomy theory to educational policy analysis. The arguments in the case study under consideration are seriously compromised by a basically flawed hypothesis, a misrepresentation of contemporary (neo‐) Marxist education policy analysis and by a failure to look at ‘the big picture’.     

The politics of workers’ education in Nigeria

In this analysis of workers’ education in Nigeria, set against the broad definitions of the broad meaning of workers’ education, education as against training, and other fundamental issues, an important point should be noted. It is that the ‘worker’ in Nigeria is defined by law. This definition excludes, for example, those who are not on a monthly or annual wage. Thus those unskilled people hired on a temporary basis are not, legally, ‘workers’.     

The pedagogy of higher education — Research problems

Until recently pedagogics has concentrated on elementary and secondary education. With the expansion of higher education it is important to apply the principles of pedagogic theory to higher education. Qualitative, as well as quantitative aspects should be considered. The aim should be to develop a system which is effective and adequate in terms of the needs of contemporary society.

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La pedagogie de l'enseignement superieur: Problemes de recherche

Résumé La recherche pédagogique s'est jusqu'ici attachée principalement aux problèmes de l'enseignement primaire et secondaire. L'expansion de l'enseignement supérieur exige aujourd'hui que l'on applique les principes de la théorie pédagogique à ce type d'enseignement. Il convient de prendre en compte aussi bien les aspects qualitatifs que les aspects quantitatifs de la question. Le but recherché devrait être de mettre en place un système efficace et adapté aux besoins des sociétés contemporaines.

     

The changing pattern of higher education in England and Wales — The end of an era?

During the past twenty years great changes have taken place in British higher education. During the 1980s these changes have been even more noticeable, so that by the middle of the 1990s the pattern and the ethos of British higher education will be very different from that prevailing in the 1970s. Not only have there been structural changes but there have also been concerns about autonomy and freedom, accountability and appraisal in the face of government demands for improved management efficiency, restrictions on tenure and alternative forms of finance. This paper analyses these changes in universities, polytechnics and teacher education colleges and traces the growing intervention on the part of government. It also seeks to draw out implications for other education systems facing the same pressures. A glossary of abbreviations and acronyms appears on p. 301.

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Zusammenfassung Während der vergangenen zwanzig Jahre gab es in der britischen Hochschulbildung große Veränderungen. Im Laufe der 80er Jahre sind diese Veränderungen besonders deutlich geworden, und bis zur Mitte der 90er Jahre werden sich die Struktur und das Ethos der britischen Hochschulbildung von den in den 70er Jahren vorherrschenden stark unterscheiden. Es hat nicht nur strukturelle Veränderungen gegeben, sondern auch besorgte Überlegungen zu Fragen der Autonomie und Freiheit, Verantwortlichkeit und Beurteilung angesichts der Forderungen seitens der Regierung nach verbesserter Wirtschaftlichkeit der Verwaltung, Begrenzung der Amtszeiten und alternativen Finanzierungsformen. Im vorliegenden Artikel werden diese Veränderungen an Universitäten, Technischen Hochschulen und Pädagogischen Hochschulen analysiert, und es wird den zunehmenden Eingriffen durch die Regierung nachgegangen. Darüberhinaus wird versucht, Auswirkungen auf andere Bildungssysteme aufzuzeigen, die mit denselben Zwängen konfrontiert sind. Ein Glossar der Abkürzungen und Akronyme erscheint auf S. 301.

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Résumé Au cours des vingt dernières années, de grands changements sont intervenus dans l'enseignement supérieur en Grande Bretagne. Ces changements sont devenus encore plus sensibles durant les années 1980, si bien que, vers le milieu des années 1990, la structure et l'éthos de l'enseignement supérieur britannique seront très différents de ceux qui prévalaient dans les années 1970. Non seulement il y a eu des changements structuraux, mais on s'est également préoccupé d'autonomie et de liberté, de responsabilité et d'appréciation en dépit des exigences gouvernementales à l'égard d'une gestion plus efficace, d'une réduction de la période d'exercice des fonctions, et de nouvelles formes de financement. Le présent article analyse ces changements dans les universités, les collèges polytechniques et les écoles normales et décrit le rôle grandissant de l'Etat. Il s'efforce également d'en dégager les leçons pour d'autres systèmes éducatifs qui font face aux même pressions. Un glossaire d'abbréviations et d'acronymes apparaît à la page 301.

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Abbreviations and Acronyms CATE Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education - CHEs Colleges of Higher Education - CNAA Council for National Academic Awards - CVCP Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals - DES Department of Education and Science (equivalent to a Ministry of Education) - HMI Her Majesty's Inspectorate - HMSO Her Majesty's Stationery Office - INSET Inservice Education for Teachers - LEA Local Education Authority - NAB National Advisory Board for Public Sector Higher Education - PCFC Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council - PDEs Polytechnic Departments of Education - PGCE Postgraduate Certificate in Education - PICKUP Professional, Industrial and Commercial Updating Programme - PSHE Public Sector Higher Education (i.e., all higher education not under university control) - UCET Universities Council for the Education of Teachers - UDEs University Departments of Education - UFC Universities Funding Council - UGC University Grants Committee - WAB Welsh Advisory Board for Public Sector Higher Education - binary divide the separation between universities and polytechnics, etc. - White Paper a government document setting out official proposals prior to introducing legislation in parliament     

The effect of school‐based practice on student teachers' attitudes towards inclusive education in Northern Ireland

This study seeks to discover the attitudes to inclusion of those about to embark on initial teacher education in Northern Ireland and the extent to which an extended teaching practice in a non‐selective placement school can influence attitude change. A cohort of 125 student teachers responded to a survey that explored their attitudes towards a range of issues relating to inclusive education in the context of Northern Ireland. The findings indicate that student teachers in Northern Ireland show positive attitudes towards the principles of inclusion, with teaching practice experience in a non‐selective school appearing to confirm and increase these positive attitudes. However, despite displaying increasingly positive attitudes towards inclusion post‐teaching practice, there are indications that student teachers continue to show strong attachment to current organisational practices strongly related to academic selection.     

The myth of objective assessment — An analysis in relation to primary education

This article focuses on the recent growth and development of the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in England and discusses the issue of ‘quality’ in relation to the diversity of provision on which these developments are based. In particular the article discusses the ways in which cultural constructions of childhood and the theories of child development and learning espoused by stakeholders impact on assessments of ‘quality’.     

The new ‘market‐state’ and education

This paper argues that changes at all levels of education and training (i.e., learning) policy exemplify a new capitalist state formation. This has been aptly named by US political scientist Philip Bobbitt (2002) ‘the new market‐state’, particularly with reference to its administration or ‘governance’. It can be seen especially in the governance of education and training where a new centralized system of contracting or devolving provision to ‘non‐governmental agencies’ has all but replaced the previous ‘national system locally administered’ (Ainley, ). The latter typified the administration of the classic post‐war welfare state, which Bobbitt calls the ‘nation‐state’. Like the former welfare state, the new ‘market‐state’ is also a capitalist state and, therefore, also the means to rule for a persisting capitalist ruling class (Roberts, , pp. 169–192). The new state formation is, however, as different as the former welfare state was in turn from pre‐war capitalist state forms in England. This is particularly clear when the new ‘settlement’ of education and training, imposed by the 1988 Education and 1992 Further and Higher Education Acts, is contrasted with the former welfare state ‘settlement’ established by the 1944 Education Act. In conclusion, implications for opposition to the ‘new market‐state’ are discussed.     

The ‘spirit of education’ in Indonesian Pesantren

This paper employs Foucauldian theory to consider Islamic boarding school experiences in Indonesia. For some pupils ‘the spirit of education’ – a dimension of pleasure – comes to be highly valued, creating a lifelong passion for the pursuit of knowledge. Two school principals (both pesantren [Islamic boarding school] graduates themselves) articulated strong commitment to the ‘spirit of education’. Yet their respective boarding schools were very poor, not only by western standards but compared with Indonesian public schools, and conditions were austere. The embodiment of pesantren discourse as high academic achievement is illustrated by the example of Khadija – a young female pesantren graduate now studying at doctoral level in the United Kingdom. Explaining the embodied production of the ‘spirit of education’ demands looking at charismatic pedagogy, strict rules, austere conditions and sparse provision of learning resources as regimes of truth and power–knowledge relations that inhere in pesantren as lived experiences of pupils.