2 University expansion 1945-1979

Question 1

Why was University so central to policy?

compare to other countries.

Answer 1

Student participation in England was lower than any other country. In England, 15% of 16-17 year olds were in full time education: In America, 67% of 17 year olds were in full time education

Question 2

What did the Government do about the education problem?

Answer 2

Government funding increased from £1 million in 1919 to £80 million in 1962

Question 3

How did Attlee fund universities, What did this change do to the numbers of students that attended? What was the overall affect?

Answer 3

Attlee gave local authority grants to some universities. The number of students rose from 50,000 to 83,000 as a result. Overall though, top universities remaiened largely middle class.

Question 4

Post-war context?

What did Attlee believe about University course prioritisation?

Answer 4

• lots of science students were needed as a result of increasingly complex technology.
• Attlee believed Universities should be centeres of science and engineering, this was encouraged in the 1950s and 1960s.

Question 5

1945 Percy Report reccomendations

Answer 5

• Classic education should be challenged in favour of STEM courses.
• Universities should be expanded to cater for the huge influx of students as a result of the Butler Act.

Question 6

1946 Barlow Report

Answer 6

there still are not enough STEM students

Question 7

1963 Robbins Report + 1961 Robbins committee

Answer 7

1961 Robbins committee reccomended by 1980 there should be 5x more stuents than there was at the time, in order to compete with foreign countries again.
1963 Robbins committee report:
1. teaching academics should research
2. teaching academics also have a social role, and should expand students social skills
3. universities must give ‘instruction in skils’ to develop an educated workforce
4. universities must develop ‘general powers of the mind’ within their students

Question 8

When was The Open University established? Who specificaly thought of the idea?

Answer 8

Began accepting students in 1971. Wilson’s minister for arts Jenny Lee began developing the idea in 1964.

Question 9

What was the purpose of the Open University?

Answer 9

to educate students who could not access university and it was open to anyone remotely. It was extremely popular as people could earn degrees without going to an in-person university.
Problematically, Edward Heath wanted to cancel the Open University in 1971, but feared political fallout.