Education and Public Policy (P02022)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : EDU-P-P02022

Since the early 1980s considerable changes have taken place in the organisation of public services such as education, health and social services. The changes have been controversial, being associated in their dominant version with the Conservative government after 1979. In this version, they were characterised by the introduction of competition, consumerism, and market forces. However, there have been other sources, associated with the political left, which have emphasised different values, notably decentralisation, accountability to communities, and lay input to professional practice. In Scotland, the eventual outcome of these ambiguous challenges to the existing ways of making and managing policy was the setting up of the Scottish parliament, and the associated attempts to renew citizenship and democracy. Rather than the detail of the impact of these changes on a particular service, this course aims to provide participants with understanding of the developments.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Education, (The Moray House School of Education, Schedule C)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Full Year (Blocks 1-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 24 hour(s) per week for 1 weeks

? Additional Class Information : The taught components of the EdD take place in four one-week blocks. These are normally in early January, April, July and mid September. The exact dates will be specified at least one year in advance to assist with planning.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Since the early 1980s considerable changes have taken place in the organisation of public services such as education, health and social services. The changes have been controversial, being associated in their dominant version with the Conservative government after 1979. In this version, they were characterised by the introduction of competition, consumerism, and market forces. However, there The course aims to provide participants with understanding of the developments, in the following ways:
1. Changes in the provision of services in such areas as education, health and social services.
2. Analysis of the forces which led to such changes.
3. The increasing role of central government (including quangos), decline in role of local government in providing such services, growth of alternative providers.
4. Changes in the relationship between local and central government.
5. Changes in the nature of management required for such services.
6. The background to the debates about renewing democracy, using the debate about a Scottish parliament,and its operation since 1999, as a significant case of this.
7. The role of policy research.

Assessment Information

A written assignment of 4-5,000 words in which students are required to describe and evaluate, from a range of perspectives, policy changes affecting an organisation providing a service to the public in the areas of education, health and social services