Look carefully at the picture below. In what different ways could this be interpreted?

Education
and
Ideology
An Introduction

David Hicks
Formerly Professor at
Bath Spa University
 Some purposes of education
 Knowledge ~ to pass on subject-based knowledge
 Reproduction ~ to ensure continuity of societal norms
 Workforce ~ to create a globally competitive workforce
 Religious ~ to adhere to a particular religious tradition
 Individual ~ to bring out the best in every person
 Global ~ to understand local-global interdependence
 Better world ~ to help change society for the better
 The concept of ideology

‘Ideology is defined as a broad interlocked set of

ideas and beliefs about the world held by a group of
people that they demonstrate in both behaviour and
conversation to various audiences. These systems of
belief are usually seen as ‘the way things really are’
by the groups holding them, and they become the
taken-for-granted ways of making sense of the world.’
Meighan, R. & Harber, C. (2007) A Sociology of Educating, Continuum (p.212)
 Some types of ideology

 Government ~ e.g. democratic, one-party rule

 Political ~ e.g. conservative, liberal, socialist
 Religious ~ e.g. Christian, Islam, atheist
 Economic ~ e.g. capitalist, neo-liberal, green
 Educational ~ e.g. market driven, child-centred
 Dominant ideologies

‘A softer form of legitimation is in the use of major

institutions, such as education, mass media, religion,
law and the economy, to put over a ‘consensus’,
‘common-sense’ or ‘sensible person’s’ point of view
as against the ‘lunatic fringe’ view, which turns out to
be almost any view inconvenient to the group with
the dominant ideology.’

Meighan, R. & Harber, C. (2007) A Sociology of Educating, Continuum (p.215)

 Welfare state ideology
 Emerged after WW2 in UK (from 1945 to 1980s). Argues state (government)
has vital role in promoting welfare of all, especially those disadvantaged by
birth, poverty or health. Supported by Liberal, Conservative and Labour.
 Introduction of free national health service, free education, together with a
social security system and the building of more than a million council houses.
 To help kick-start industry after the war key industries were nationalised, e.g.
railways, road haulage, civil aviation, coal, steel, gas and electricity.
 As a result of the 11+ exam children selected for grammar, secondary modern
or technical college. Replaced in 60s by non-selective comprehensive schools
based on the principle of equal opportunities for all.
 From the late 70s neoliberals and conservatives began to oppose and attack
welfare state principles, so that from 80s onwards a neoliberal view of society
and education became the dominant ideology in the west.
 Impacts on education
 In the UK Conservatives in 80s (Thatcher) and
Labour in 90s (Blair) wanted greater control of
education and privatisation within it.
 Money spent on education seen as a waste of time
unless helps the country compete efficiently and
effectively in the global market place.
 Stress on competition by results, e.g. SATs and
league tables; focus on ‘surface’ learning, i.e.
knowing how to pass exams.
 Market metaphors: parents as consumers,
business model for education, competition brings
out best in individuals and schools.
 Education based on a technocratic, managerial and
performance driven view of teaching and learning.
Controlled now by politicians rather than profess-
ional educators.
 Example: Changing self and society
Robin Richardson draws attention to two long-standing educational
traditions, one focusing on self and the other on society ~
‘Both traditions are concerned with wholeness and holistic thinking, but
neither, arguably, is complete without the other. There cannot be
wholeness in individuals independently of strenuous attempts to heal
rifts and contradictions in wider society and in the education system.
Conversely, political struggle to create wholeness in society – that is,
equality and justice in dealings and relationships between social classes,
between countries, between ethnic groups, between women and men –
is doomed to no more than partial success and hollow victories, at best,
if it is not accompanied by, and if it does not in its turn strengthen and
sustain, the search for wholeness and integration in individuals.’

Richardson, R. (1991) Daring to be a Teacher, Trentham Books

Neoliberal ideology
 From 80s onwards dominant political ideology in
the western world. Central values: human
dignity and individual freedom
 Human nature seen as basically competitive and
thus the way in which society works best
 It is therefore sensible and rational for each
person to maximise their own personal benefits
 Free trade economics, i.e. competition in all
things, will bring benefits to all
 The state should not interfere in any way with
the free market process
 Therefore what is ‘private’ is always best and
what is ‘public’ (i.e. state led) is to be avoided
 Results in a market driven view of all aspects of
life including teaching and education
 Impacts on education
 According to free market economics all areas of society work best if
privatised and decisions made in same vein as companies and markets.
 Schools therefore not only taken out of local authority control but also
out of the control of teachers and the care of education professionals.
 The introduction of a National Curriculum made sure that potentially
contentious issues were removed and welfare state ideas suppressed.
 Teachers, rather than being seen as competent professionals now had
to follow government policies to satisfy their customers (parents).
 Testing and exams became widespread, seen as the proper way to
ensure that children study hard and learn properly.
 With a few pockets of resistance most progressive ideas in education
removed, so that today they are little known about or discussed.
 Example: Academies & Free Schools
 State education – government used to fund schools via Local Authorities
 Conservatives – as many schools as possible should become academies
 Funding – goes directly to schools instead of via the Local Authority
 Control – Head and governors, i.e. free from control by Local Authority
 Staffing – Schools set teachers’ salaries and can hire non-qualified teachers
 Curriculum – Set their own curriculum and buy in services as they choose
 Free schools – set up by parents and others with same freedom as academies
 Purpose – greater freedom and choice for schools to follow own preferences
 Free-market – privatised view of education v. collegiality of state initiatives
 Opposition – from teachers’ unions and academics, low take-up by schools
 Green ideology
 Emerged in 60s-70s with publication of books such as Carson’s Silent Spring (effect of
pesticides on wildlife), Meadows’ Limits to Growth (first global computer model) and
Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful (constant growth is unsustainable).
 Growing concern after seeing the first photos of the Earth from space that human
activity is damaging the biosphere (atmosphere, waters, soils, flora and fauna), our life
support system. Such damaging activities need to be urgently curtailed.
 Key concepts: sustainability and unsustainability. Sustainable practices are those which
can continue indefinitely without causing damage to people or the natural environment.
 Unsustainable practices are those which urgently need curtailing because they cause
damage to people or the natural environment. Considerable damage has already
occurred and continues to escalate.
 Climate change has been caused by high carbon emissions arising from the burning of
fossil fuels over the last 200 years. To survive this all societies are gradually beginning
the transition to a low-carbon economy based on safe, clean renewable energy.
 Impacts on education
 Interdependence ~ greater sense of responsibility for protecting the
biosphere on which the quality of human life depends
 Knowledge and understanding ~ confidence in understanding
sustainability issues in the news and how related to everyday life
 Responsible eco-citizenship ~ working collaboratively with others to
play a part in helping create a sustainable low-carbon community
 Unsustainability ~ greater awareness of and participation in resolving
issues relating to unsustainable practice in school and community
 Sustainability ~ greater interest and involvement in promoting
sustainable good practice in school and the community
 School ethos ~ a school and community which know their worth as
leaders in the field of sustainability and climate change
 Example: Education for sustainability
 The Ashden Awards are given to schools on the basis
of their commitment to using renewable energy and
reducing their overall carbon footprint
 Food for Life awards are presented to schools which
grow a proportion of their own food sustainably and
make school lunches a convivial event
 Eco-Schools is an international scheme where
schools study all key aspects of sustainability across the
curriculum and through the life of the school
 Increasingly many schools are beginning to engage
with different issues of sustainability in the school and
local community
 One exciting source of inspiration and good practice
is Sustainability & Environmental Education (SEEd) at
http://se-ed.co.uk/edu/
 Where do you stand?
 All human action is underpinned by conscious or unconscious beliefs
about human nature and how the world works
 Such beliefs are shared by large groups of people and dominant
ideologies become seen as simply ‘normal’ or just ‘obvious’
 This applies to society generally as well as specific areas of society
such as economics or education
 Three competing ideologies and their influence on schools have been
introduced, with examples of their differing focus and impact

 Is the main purpose of education to create i) willing consumers; ii) a

more sustainable future; iii) responsible citizens; iv) other?
 How has this exploration affected your view of education? How may
it affect your future professional studies? Where do you stand?