1944 Education Act

Question 1

1944 Education act

Answer 1

• Made secondary education universal and free for the first time.
• All pupils at age 11 take a test to decide what school they go to.
• Tripartite system- Grammar, Secondary modern and technical. Schools were presented as equal but different.

Question 2

11+

Answer 2

• Introduced academic selection
• Determines what school in the tripartite system you go to.
• Its aimed to test intelligence and the 11+ remains in areas that still have selective grammar schools.

Question 3

Grammar schools

Answer 3

• Students who performed well on 11+ went to state grammar schools
• Promotes social mobility as working class have access to excellent secondary education
• Approximately 20% selected for grammar schools

Question 4

Technical schools

Answer 4

• Focused on subjects such as engineering and mechanics.
• At their peak less than 3% of students attended so there were significantly less technical schools.
• Technical schools required specialist equipment, staff and buildings which were expensive.
• They were seen to be a school for those that just missed out on a spot in grammar schools, rather than ‘equal but different’

Question 5

Secondary modern schools

Answer 5

• Those with practical intelligence
• Attended by the everyone else who didn’t go to technical or grammar schools. Around 77%.
• These schools didn’t have sixth forms and it was assumed that after 16 you’d go into full time employment.

Question 6

How is the educational psychological theory criticized?

Answer 6

The theory stated that there were three types of intelligence (Academic, technical or practical) and that children had one or another. This theory is now borderline discredited.

Question 7

How was the 11+ seen to be unfair?

Answer 7

• Did not facilitate that pupils might develop at different ages.
• Didn’t account for pupils having a range of strengths and skills rather being strictly one or another.
• As they was seen to be two types of schools it was broadly seen to be a pass or fail, hence a vast majority of 11 year olds were told they were failures. This label could be a reason why there’s a difference in achievement from grammar and secondary schools.

Question 8

Class criticisms of the Tripartite system

Answer 8

• Out and in school factors already disadvantages WC at primary level which impacted 11+ results
• Primary schools in middle class areas expect students to pass 11+ so prepare students better.
• 11+ favoured middle class. Eg. English scenarios were more likely to be similar to RC experiences like holidays. Eg. Test questions favoured cultural capital of RC
• Cultural deprivation- WC parents may have wanted kids to go to secondary modern as they’ll be more likely to go into employment quicker and contribute to income. Or parents might worry that there were further expenses at grammar schools like textbooks.
• Middle class parents could afford private tuition for 11+.
• Middle class children who failed 11+ could pay to go to private schools

Question 9

Racial criticism of Tripartite system

Answer 9

• 11+ was accused of favouring white pupils
• Test was written in an ethnocentric way.
• Although they measured intelligence, cultural and language barriers also played a part.

Question 10

What does many educationalist want to replace the tripartite system with by 1960s?

Answer 10

By the 1960s, particularly on the political left, many educationalists were keen to replace the tripartite system and the academic selection for something more egalitarian.