Post-16 curriculum provision in England: the emerging functional 'triage' serving Capital's needs.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Post-16 curriculum provision in England: the emerging functional 'triage' serving Capital's needs.
Authors:	Bunnell, Tristan¹ tbunnelluk@yahoo.co.uk
Source:	Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies (JCEPS). May2011, Vol. 9 Issue 1, p149-187. 39p.
Subject Terms:	Educational finance, Knowledge workers, Curriculum, Examinations, Profitability
Geographic Terms:	England
Abstract:	The post-16 examination field in England has changed radically over the past decade. The previously hegemonic A-Level has been joined by the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Cambridge Pre-U, AQA Baccalaureate, and the Government's own Diploma's. This has been attacked as a 'cluttered' field and an unnecessary duplication of resources with critics identifying the need to revamp A-Levels or introduce another unitary award. However, an alternative viewpoint can be offered, seeing the 'crowded' field as reflecting the complex needs of Capital. As well as further stratifying schooling along class lines, the government gets to reduce school expenditure without compromising England's international competitiveness. The economic down-turn offers an opportunity for 'selling' a multi-tiered curriculum model as an urgent one, limiting opposition and resistance, whilst also creating a differentiated field for Capital to intervene in, and profit from. It becomes a convenient model for solving the current crisis of Capital accumulation and offers a means for legitimizing the movement towards educating children to serve Capital; we are told that the world is getting 'flatter' and resources must be immediately re-allocated (a form of educational triage) in favour of highly skilled (and better motivated) children. What appears is a broad spectrum separating the elite global worker (the 'knowledge worker') from the mass of 'knowledgeable workers', many of whom will form the large surplus pool of 'economically inactive' workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	The post-16 examination field in England has changed radically over the past decade. The previously hegemonic A-Level has been joined by the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Cambridge Pre-U, AQA Baccalaureate, and the Government's own Diploma's. This has been attacked as a 'cluttered' field and an unnecessary duplication of resources with critics identifying the need to revamp A-Levels or introduce another unitary award. However, an alternative viewpoint can be offered, seeing the 'crowded' field as reflecting the complex needs of Capital. As well as further stratifying schooling along class lines, the government gets to reduce school expenditure without compromising England's international competitiveness. The economic down-turn offers an opportunity for 'selling' a multi-tiered curriculum model as an urgent one, limiting opposition and resistance, whilst also creating a differentiated field for Capital to intervene in, and profit from. It becomes a convenient model for solving the current crisis of Capital accumulation and offers a means for legitimizing the movement towards educating children to serve Capital; we are told that the world is getting 'flatter' and resources must be immediately re-allocated (a form of educational triage) in favour of highly skilled (and better motivated) children. What appears is a broad spectrum separating the elite global worker (the 'knowledge worker') from the mass of 'knowledgeable workers', many of whom will form the large surplus pool of 'economically inactive' workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	20510969