Research Blog

Politicians worldwide have in the past decades tried to improve their statefunded schooling systems by introducing more choice and competition. By introducing market forces, the idea is to ensure that bad schools either are forced to improve or go out of business and that good schools expand – creating a virtuous ‘race to the top’.

Having dominated the first PMQs since Theresa May’s announcement that a General Election would be held on 8^th

The American charter school sector has attracted considerable research interest as it has expanded and matured in the last decades. In general, this research indicates mixed effects.

In the past couple of decades, the American charter school sector – comprising of autonomous schools similar to academies – has grown considerably. Today, about 5 percent of children in the US attend charter schools nationally, but there is considerable variation across states.

In most countries, externally marked tests have come to play an increasingly important role in education. In the UK nations, examinations determining pupils’ grades have for long been centrally marked. Until recently, however, many GCSE and A-level courses have included some teacher-assessed elements – and many have lamented the government’s determination to eliminate these components.