Contemporary Conservative education policy may seem to be hastily formulated and executed, but it is arguedly founded on deeply held ideological beliefs. By briefly examining the history of the British Conservative party, including its complex formation and disparate ideological traditions, including the broader conservative diaspora, four key elements of Conservative educational beliefs, namely support for traditional practices, anti-intellectualism, economic liberalism and the power of the market, and support for inequalities of outcome, are discussed. These beliefs are then examined against contemporary policy initiatives such as practice based teacher training, the marketisation of schools and curriculum reform.
Percival, James
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences\School of Education
Year of publication: 2017Date of RADAR deposit: 2017-05-26
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