Towards equity in the futures market : curriculum as a condition of access

This article provides a consideration of the problem of equity in education. In the first part of the discussion, the author draws on philosophical and sociological literatures to consider what equity means and its implications for education. Drawing on work by Burbules, Lord & Sherman, she looks to curriculum as a condition of access and the importance of learning support structures in bringing about equitable educational outcomes, conceived in terms of Amy Gutmanns’s democratic threshold. The paper offers a conceptual-theoretical model for thinking about the resourcing and curricular requirements for equity in contemporary liberal democratic societies, contrasting the social and economic policy mixes employed by governments situated at different points along a liberty/equality continuum

Gonski review: Full coverage

The biggest review of school funding in decades has been handed to the government. The report recommends an injection of A$5 billion to the education sector, three-quarters of which would go to public schools. For the past week, some of Australia’s foremost education experts have written on The Conversation about their hopes for, and reactions to the Gonski review, as well as the challenges the government will face in implementing it. Our panel of experts provided their initial thoughts on the review’s recommendations and findings. Melbourne University’s leader of education policy and leadership unit Jack Keating said the review was worthy, but the political climate may hamper its implementation. The main problem with the report is its timing. It has come out at a bad time in the economic and political cycles, and is in the hands of a government that is in a weak position to implement it

Attitudes to School

The reasons for a later entry to university are explored in the first part of this chapter. The differences in the Australian and the UK school systems are explained, and the varying points at which participants completed or withdrew from compulsory education are described. The chapter then looks at some of the decisions that the men made relating to employment or pursuing technical qualifications and why, at that stage, university was not seen as a potential or viable option. Antipathy to school and an unsatisfactory school experience are considered through the lenses of class, family culture, gendered expectations and masculine identities. The chapter ends with the voice of Cedric which supports the view that complexity is inherent in all constructions of men’s experience here