Journal article
Access to academic curriculum in Australian secondary schools: A case study of a highly marketised education system
Journal of Education Policy, Vol.29(4), pp.467-485
2013
Abstract
This study examines how access to academic curriculum differs between secondary schools in Australia, a country whose education system is marked by high levels of choice, privatisation and competition. Equitable access to academic curriculum is important for both individual students and their families as well as the larger society. Previous research has shown that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds are less likely to study academic curriculum than their more advantaged peers. Less is known, however, about the extent to which this pattern is related to differential provision of curriculum between schools. We found that low socio-economic schools offer students less access to the core academic curriculum subjects that are important for university entry. We also found that the breadth and depth of courses offered is related to school sector (private or public) and socio-economic context. Previous research has shown that choice and competition are inequitable because they frequently increase school social segregation and ‘cream-skimming’. Our findings show another inequitable consequence, namely that choice and competition limit access to high-status academic curriculum in working-class communities.
Details
- Title
- Access to academic curriculum in Australian secondary schools: A case study of a highly marketised education system
- Authors/Creators
- L.B. Perry (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityL. Southwell (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
- Publication Details
- Journal of Education Policy, Vol.29(4), pp.467-485
- Publisher
- Taylor and Francis
- Identifiers
- 991005544329407891
- Copyright
- © 2013 Taylor & Francis
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Education
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Metrics
1333 File views/ downloads
282 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Citation topics
- 6 Social Sciences
- 6.11 Education & Educational Research
- 6.11.345 Educational Reform
- Web Of Science research areas
- Education & Educational Research
- ESI research areas
- Social Sciences, general