DOES THE RHETORIC WORK - PARENTAL RESPONSES TO NEW RIGHT POLICY ASSUMPTIONS

This paper examines the extent to which parents have absorbed New Righ t ideas about education and acted accordingly. What emerges is that th eir commitment to the rhetoric of school choice is strong. However, co ncepts such. as the market and competition are viewed less favourably. An important theme here is the avoidance by parents of any collective agenda in discussing education policy, a factor that mag thwart those who attempt to predict their responses to government policy for schoo ls.