Read Item B below and answer the question that follows - AQA - A-Level Sociology - Question 4 - 2022 - Paper 1

The debate surrounding marketisation policies in education primarily focuses on their impact on diversity and choice. According to New Right theorists, marketisation has led to significant improvements in school standards and parental choice. They emphasize that parents are empowered to select schools that best meet their children's needs, leading to a tailored educational experience. This model allegedly spurs competition among schools, encouraging them to improve their offerings in order to attract more students.

However, some sociologists challenge this perspective. While marketisation does increase the number of choices available to parents, they argue that these choices are often limited by socio-economic factors. For instance, families from lower-income backgrounds may not have the same access to information or resources to make informed choices about schooling. This can lead to a situation where only a subset of schools remains viable options for these families, thus reinforcing existing inequalities.

Furthermore, the idea of a free market in education might lead to a concentration of educational resources in more affluent areas, making it harder for schools in deprived regions to compete. Sociologists such as Ball and Gewirtz highlight that marketisation can lead to a 'school choice gap' where only those who are economically privileged can truly exploit the choices introduced through marketisation policies.

In summary, while marketisation policies have indeed diversified the school landscape and created more opportunities for parental choice, they may simultaneously reinforce pre-existing inequalities in educational access and achievement. Therefore, the view that marketisation has universally increased diversity and choice needs to be critically evaluated, taking into account the varied implications across different socio-economic groups.