Examine the ways in which schools benefit Middle class students more than working class students
Examine the ways in which schools benefit Middle class students more than working class students.
There is a lot of evidence to suggest that schools benefit middle class students more than working class students. In general, the higher the person’s social class of origin - the higher their educational qualifications. Pupils are constantly being assessed and classified. They are defined as able or less able, placed in particular sets or streams, entered for particular examinations and given or denied access to certain parts of the school curriculum. Research indicates that teachers are more likely to define middle rather than working-class pupils as ‘able,’ ‘good students’ and ‘well behaved’. This may well disadvantage working class, whilst benefiting the middle class student at school. If the middle class student is labelled as ‘bright’, others will respond to them and interpret their actions in terms of this label. There is a tendency for a self-fulfilling prophecy to result where the labelled, middle class pupils will act in terms of the label and see themselves as bright. Therefore that child will do better than a working class student who may not have been labelled as ‘bright’ even though he/she may be just as clever.
