SP230
Education Policy
This information is for the 2023/24 session.
Teacher responsible
Miss Fiona Gogescu
Availability
This course is available on the BSc in International Social and Public Policy, BSc in International Social and Public Policy and Economics and BSc in International Social and Public Policy with Politics. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course is available with permission to General Course students.
Course content
This course provides an introduction to the main issues in educational policy. It draws on interdisciplinary research literature and has a comparative and international focus. The course aims to show how major concepts used in social policy can be applied to the study of education, for example, equality of opportunity, equity and the distribution of resources.
Issues to be addressed include: policy goals of education; historical development of education and the role of the state in provision and funding; the impact of social characteristics on educational outcomes (class, gender, ethnicity and ‘race); education of children with special educational needs and disabilities; financing education; private schooling; privatisation and the changing role of the state; early years education; school-based education; post-compulsory education including higher education; education systems in comparative perspective and education regimes, decentralisation and devolution. Not all of these issues are covered as separate weekly topics.
Teaching
All teaching will be in accordance with the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Academic Code (https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/lse-academic-code) which specifies a "minimum of two hours taught contact time per week when the course is running in the Autumn Term (AT) and/or Winter Term (WT)". Social Policy courses are predominantly taught through a combination of in-person lectures and in-person classes/seminars. Further information will be provided by the Course Convenor in the first lecture of the course.
This course is taught in both AT & WT.
Formative coursework
There will be three pieces of formative work for students to complete:
One formative essay in AT
One formative essay in WT
Indicative reading
Some introductory texts are recommended:
Arthur, J., Peterson, A. (eds) (2011) The Routledge Companion to Education. London: Routledge.
Lauder, H., Brown, P., Dillabough, J., Halsey, A.H. (eds) (2006) Education, Globalization and Social Change. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Specialist reading lists for each topic will be provided.
Assessment
Online assessment (100%) in the ST.
Key facts
Department: Social Policy
Total students 2022/23: 29
Average class size 2022/23: 15
Capped 2022/23: Yes (30)
Lecture capture used 2022/23: Yes (MT & LT)
Value: One Unit
Course selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Leadership
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills