The aims of this research were to explore the relationship between parents and the UK government within primary education and to critically analyse neo-liberal modes and technologies of governmentality within the testing regime. This article focuses on the Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign, which was an online protest by parents. The protest aimed to force the UK government to stop the new Standard Assessment Tests due to be taken by primary school children in the summer of 2016. The research considers, via a critical discourse analysis approach, the potential tension between the government and the Let Our Kids Be Kids protest. The analysis focuses on how the parents positioned themselves as either complying with or rejecting government educational policy. The research findings concentrate on four themes: the paradox of parent power, the discourse of success, the educational experience and the emotional effects of testing. Whilst the campaign sought to challenge the government’s testing regime, the neo-liberal rhetoric that the purpose of education is for future employment was maintained by both sides, with the protesters adopting the same neo-liberal discourse to justify an opposing position. Ultimately, for parents to challenge the government within education, the neo-liberal discourse that supports the current education policies needs to be recognised and addressed.

中文翻译：

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《让我们的孩子成为孩子》抗议活动的批评话语分析

这项研究的目的是探讨初等教育中父母与英国政府之间的关系，并批判性地分析测试制度内的新自由主义模式和政府技术。本文重点介绍“让我们的孩子当孩子”运动，这是父母在网上提出的抗议活动。抗议活动旨在迫使英国政府停止将于2016年夏季进行的由小学生参加的新标准评估测试。该研究通过批判性话语分析方法考虑了政府与“让我们一起生活”之间的潜在紧张关系。 Kids Be Kids抗议。该分析着重于父母如何将自己定位为遵守或拒绝政府的教育政策。研究结果集中在四个主题上：父权悖论，成功的话语，教育经历和测试的情感效果。在竞选活动试图挑战政府的考试制度的同时，双方都坚持了新自由主义的言论，即教育的目的是为了未来的就业，抗议者采用了同样的新自由主义话语来证明对立立场。最终，为了让父母在教育中挑战政府，需要承认并解决支持当前教育政策的新自由主义话语。抗议者采用相同的新自由主义话语来证明对立立场。最终，为了让父母在教育中挑战政府，需要承认并解决支持当前教育政策的新自由主义话语。抗议者采用相同的新自由主义话语来证明对立立场。最终，为了让父母在教育中挑战政府，需要承认并解决支持当前教育政策的新自由主义话语。