Education And Social Policy 1870-1979 Flashcards
What was education prior to 1870 like?
- Schooling only for a tiny minority of population (higher-class children whose parents could afford to pay)
- Public and fee charging grammar schools
When was the Forster Act?
1870
Why was the Forster Act important?
It was the first piece of government legislation on education
What did the Forster Act enforce?
Free state education for all children between the ages of 5 and 10
In the Forster Act, what was education like?
- Basic skills
- Religious and moral values
What was the format of education in the Forster Act?
- Separated by sex
- Boys taught technical skills
- Girls taught domestic skills
- Socialisation
When was the Fisher Act?
1918
What did the Fisher Act do?
- Schools compulsory and free up until age 14
—> state became responsible for secondary education - Education system divided along class lines
—> fee paying secondary schools for MC children who could afford it
What ideas began to change after the war?
- 1918: men over 21 allowed to vote
- 1928: female voting rights
What other perspective became important after the war? What does it say?
Social democratic perspective: a democratically elected government can reduce the injustice in the capitalist market system
—> meritocracy
What was education like prior to 1944?
- Access to education mainly from middle and upper class
- School leaving age 14 (later raised to 15)
- State schools under Local Education Authorities (LEAs)
When was the Butler Education Act?
1944
What was the aim of the Butler Education Act?
Abolish class based inequalities in state education
What did the Butler Education Act introduce?
- Secondary education for all
- 11+ exam as measure of ability
- Three types of schools
What were the three types of schools introduced by the Butler Education Act?
- Grammar schools
- Secondary modern schools
- Technical schools
What were grammar schools in the tripartite system like?
- For ‘bright’ and ‘academic’ students
- 20%
What were secondary modern schools in the tripartite system like?
- Basic education
- No further exams
- 75%
What were technical schools in the tripartite system like?
- Emphasis on vocational skills and training
- 5% (only very few actually built)
What did the tripartite system intend to do?
Provide separate, but equal types of education for different talents
What phrase is used to describe the equal status of students and types of schools?
Parity of esteem
Criticisms of the tripartite system
- 11+ was unreliable (IQ test, not ability)
- No parity of esteem
—> secondary moderns seen as ‘second best’
—> no further exams on secondary moderns, denying pupils opportunity to progress - Only very few technical schools actually built due to high cost
- Unfair selection process + girls had to score higher to get into grammar schools
- Social class divide remained (grammar schools mainly for MC)
—> WC pupils labelled as ‘failures’ —> no motivation to succeed
What was the result of the tripartite system?
Agreed to be a failure
—> comprehensive schools
When were the comprehensive schools introduced?
1965-1979
What were characteristics of comprehensive schools?
They were an answer of the labour government to issues with the tripartite system
1. Better facilities
2. Broader curriculum
3. More sporting and recreational activities
What did functionalists say about comprehensive schools?
- Promoted social integration (by bringing social classes together)
—> However: Julienne Ford: little social mixing because of streaming - More meritocratic since they provide longer period to develop abilities
what did Marxists say about comprehensive schools?
-
Not meritocratic
—> reproduction of inequality through streaming and labelling - ‘Myth of meritocracy’ justifies inequality
—> shifting blame from the system to the individual
What did social democrats say about comprehensive schools?
- No parity of esteem
—> still inequalities and class differences
What were general problems with comprehensive schools?
- Social class divided remained
- Critics: comprehensive system would lower educational standards
- Continued tripartite system within the comprehensive system
—> streaming and setting
What educational policy was introduced in the 1960s?
Educational Priority Areas
Why were EPAs introduced?
- According to social democrats, the only way to achieve equal opportunities is by reducing class divide
- To target resources towards the most disadvantaged
What did EPAs do?
- Add resources to low-income areas
- Emphasis on pre-school and primary education
What was the result of EPAs?
The results were difficult to evaluate since available evidence suggests that EPAs produced little change
