ABSTRACT
Every Child Matters has its antecedents in the American policy No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (US Department of Education, 2001) produced by the Bush administration in 2001. This is one of the most important pieces of US Education legislation in the last 40 years. Like ECM, it was intended to tackle the effects of poverty and underachievement. What was new for Americans was that it extended central government ‘federal’ power over what traditionally has been a deregulated schooling system. By following the Bell and Stevenson (2006) framework for policy analysis outlined in Chapter 1, this chapter will show the similarities between American and British society in the impact of neo-liberalism and the weakening of the state. The political expedient was to introduce a national policy that focused on improving productivity as a response to economic globalisation and competition. Education is seen as a way of improving economic growth through greater alignment with the needs of industry and investment in human capital. It is also seen as a way of lessening the impact of poverty, social deprivation and inequality through the acquisition of training, skills and high-waged employment.
