Thatcherism and Education in England : A One-way Street ?

The key policies initiated in the 1980s such as structural reforms (school and provider diversification, the role of parents in an education market), the focus on basics and standards, hardening official attitudes towards teachers and the increased powers of central government, have since 1990 been systematised and are now entrenched in England. This is why Thatcherism is a genuine legacy as it underlies the whole education system and agenda. However, its domination is not absolute. Not all schools, particularly at primary level, are academies. Social objectives have been perceptible in government policies since 1997 with measures like the Sure Start scheme or the pupil premium. Finally, some schools, whatever their status, have chosen to work together with the Schools Co-operative Society and their values can hardly be called Thatcherite