2 The Development of Comprehensive Education 1944-1979 Flashcards
The Crowther Report 1959 reccomendations
- raising school leaving age to 16
- more technical colleges
- more sixth form humanities courses
- all students had the option to take O Levels
What was the crowther report a result of?
the idea that society was becoming more meritocratic and giving more opportunities to the working class in terms of education.
The Newsom Report 1963: What did it consider?
Considered lower ability pupils ages 13-16 and the link between social deprivation and educational attaiment link
The Newsom Report 1963: Reccomendations?
- new research on teaching methods
- sex education is essential
- new party to examine the social deprivation-poor educational attainment link in parliament
- practical subjects for lower ability pupils
- not forcing exams on students where it is not appropriate
Labour’s 1964 election manifesto promised to…
in terms of education
what happened in the end?
‘get rid of the segregation of children into seperate schools caused by 11+ selection’
but…
- wilson lost to heath, and the full comprehensive policy was largely forgotten
Progressive Education and The Plowden Report 1967.
proposals:
- banning corporal punishment
- children should have more freedom in the classroom
- teachers should advise rather than lecture
- attainment would improve if schools were friendlier
Who were the Rank and File group, what did they think of this idea?
the Rank and File group were a radical left wing organisation within the National Union of Teachers. They saw progressive education as an opportunity to undermine Britain’s class structure.
4
How many comprehensive schemes did Thatcher approve during 1970-1974, what did this do to the percentage of secondary schools being comprehensives?
3286/3612 comprehensiv schemes. The % of secondary schools being comprehensives doubled from 30-60% during this time.
The Education Act 1976
What did it plan to do? What actually happened as a result?
What did the Education Act reccomend in terms of LEAs
Planned to end direct grant schools fundings and replace them with comprehensives. But, these schools actually just ended up having to charge fees and become private.
- reccomended LEAs should submit proposals for making their grammar schools comprehensives, but didn’t compel them to act. Middle class was strongly opposed to the abolition, and Heath was not prepared to lose popularity over something that was not central to conservative policy at the time.
The Yellow Book 1976: What did it expose?
- school discipline had declined
- school did not prepare people for work
- neither the government nor the public had enough say on what happened in schools
the Black Papers 1969-1977: Who produced them? What did they expose?
Brian Cox and Tony Dyson, they criticised the decline of teaching authority due to progressive education. It was an open criticism to the system.
Callaghan’s Ruskin Speech 1976
What did he announce?
- progressive education failed when it was applied incorrectly, which it was most of the time
- a national cirriculum would be introduced.
- rote learning was not an effective way to educate students.
- teachers should be more closely scrutinised.
