Question: Should the liberal state support faith schools? Defend your view with reference to the relevant philosophical literature.

“If freedom is our primary educational aim, should we be ‘traditional’, ‘liberal’, or ‘progressive’ educationalists?”

In defending the Difference Principle, Rawls argues that straightforward equality of opportunity is “fraudulent” and is not sufficient to achieve a socially just distribution. Why does Rawls regard equality of opportunity, as commonly understood, as “fraudulent”? Do you agree with him, and what might his position on this issue imply for educational provision?

Meira Levinson (in The Demands of Liberal Education) argues that the classic liberal position, which sees parents as having the freedom to educate their children as they wish, is actually illiberal as it “disvalues the liberty of future citizens”. Do you agree? Discuss, with reference to the Supreme Court judgement in Wisconsin V. Yoder, and/or to contemporary education policy.

Rawls argues that the liberal state should be neutral among competing conceptions of the good. What are the educational implications of this view, and to what extent is it reflected in state schooling  in the UK (or other countries) today?

In The Crisis in Education, Hannah Arendt argues that educators “stand in relation to the young as representatives of a world for which they must assume responsibility although they themselves did not make it, and even though they may, secretly or openly, wish it were other than it is” (p. 186). Discuss Arendt’s argument in light of her account of politics, authority, and freedom. What challenges does Arendt’s position raise for contemporary questions about the role of educators in addressing pressing political issues?

“If the government would make up its mind to require for every child a good education, it might save itself the trouble of providing one.” (Mill, On Liberty). How can Mill’s position be brought to bear on current debates about the educational rights and duties of parents in the liberal state?

To what extent, and with what justification, do you believe that the provision of schools should be determined by the operation of an educational market-place? To what extent is a market operating in current educational provision in the UK (or elsewhere)?

Should the liberal state support faith schools? Defend your view with reference to the relevant philosophical literature.

“The project of a national education ought uniformly to be discouraged on account of its obvious alliance with national government[...]Before we put so powerful a machine under the direction of so ambiguous an agent, it behoves us to consider well what it is that we do..." (William Godwin). Discuss, with reference to the work of Godwin and other critics of state education.

Discuss critiques of child-centred education provided by liberal and 'traditional' educationalists, and consider counter-arguments that might be raised in defence of progressive practice. Explain and justify your own views in relation to these matters.

Meira Levinson writes that, “If civic empowerment is our goal, then educators need to teach minority students to ‘codeswitch’: to represent and express themselves in ways that members of the majority group – those with political privilege and power – will naturally understand and respect… If one wants to be effective through political dialogue ...one must master and use [culturally powerful] language and cultural expressions”.  [Levinson 2012, pg. 87]Do pedagogical approaches such as these undermine or promote autonomy and/or minority-group empowerment?

Michael Oakeshott defines education as an initiation into the “conversation of mankind”. How might Lisa Delpit's suggestion that “success in institutions - schools, workplaces, and so on - is predicated upon the acquisition of the culture of those who are in power” help us to reflect on Oakeshott's ideas?

Critically discuss any recent development in educational policy and practice that has interested you. How far, if at all, does the practice you are considering relate to the ideas and values embodied in (i) progressivism and (ii) liberal education. In what ways and to what effect are the distinctive characteristics of the 21^st century context evident in the practice?

In what ways can the idea of a liberal education survive today? What threats are there to it? How far should it be defended?

“The ideal of impartiality expresses in fact an impossibility, a fiction” (Young, Justice and the Politics of Difference, p. 103). Explain and discuss Young’s position. To what extent does this constitute a valid critique of Rawls? How might this critique be relevant to issues of educational provision and/or classroom pedagogy?

Should education be thought of as a process that invites students to maximise the value of their future selves?