Labour's education reforms 1964-1970

Question 1

What was wrong with education in the early 1960s?

Answer 1

• schools were seen as socially divisive and a waste of working class talent
• With higher education there was a lack of working class students, insufficient science and technology provision and only a smaller number of places available

Question 2

Had the conservatives changed anything about education?

Answer 2

• For schools they introduced the first comprehensive schools e.g. Kidbrooke School (London) 1954 and Edward Boyle education minister 1962-64 supported the abolition of the 11+ exam.
• For higher education the Robbins Report (1963) proposed to expand existing universities and scientific education, to upgrade CATs into universities and to increase grants for students and new universities were opened e.g. Newcastle 1963

Question 3

What changed with the circular 10/65 and comprehensive schools?

Answer 3

• many responded to request to turn comprehensive especially after 1966 when the government made money for new school buildings conditional
• by 1970 only 8 had failed to do so
• 1145 comprehensive schools catered for 1 in 3 of all state-educated secondary school pupils
• by 1964 1 in 10 pupils were educated comprehensively (10x as in 1951)

Question 4

How did the change of circular 10/65 and comprehensive schools affect students?

Answer 4

• students learned at their own pace and sat exams according to ability in each subject
• the merges and changes caused disruption in the short term

Question 5

How popular were the comprehensive school changes with parents?

Answer 5

• middle class parents remained unconvinced

- some turned to direct grant schools and independent schools, showing how the system was flawed to begin with.

Question 6

How committed were Labour to comprehensive schools and circular 10/65?

Answer 6

• Tony Crosland issued the Circular 10/65 to all local education authorities requesting them to convert to comprehensive schooling
• 1965 Tony Crosland (Labour MP and foreign secretary) became minister of education and supported comprehensives boosting the process
• Wilson justified them by saying they meant ‘a grammar school education for all’

Question 7

What part of the educational system was lacking and what was done?

Answer 7

• due to fear of lack of science and technological education the Robbins Committee was established in 1961
• the Robbins report found that Britain was behind France, Germany and the US and too many students followed art-related courses.
• a lot of people who went to art school were involved in culture movements and it was a big employment
• the labour government responded by expanding higher education

Question 8

How was higher education expanded?

Answer 8

• Polytechnics replaced Colleges of Technology. Their focus was to be on applied education for work and science and they would focus on teaching rather than research.
• 9 colleges of advanced technology became full universities
• The Royal College of Science in Scotland became Strathclyde University.
• ‘New’ universities were to be founded (and charters given to some universities like Sussex which had recently been established)

Question 9

What did expanding higher education achieve?

Answer 9

• By 1968 there were 30 polytechnics and 56 universities
• New courses and it became possible for example to take a degree in town planning and architecture
• Opened up higher education to families who had never attended university (but still dominated by middle class)

Question 10

What were open universities?

Answer 10

• Offering high quality degree level learning in arts and sciences for people who didn’t have the opportunity to attend campus universities.
• In March 1963 Labour party proposed an experiment on radio and television to be called ‘University of the Air’.
• Wilson appointed Jennie Lee who saw it through.
• In September 1969 the Open University’s headquarters were established in Milton Keyes.
• University used radio and television as distant learning and recruited untraditional part time students

Question 11

Were the open universities successful?

Answer 11

• Attracted mature women and the disadvantaged and helped raise esteem
• By 1980 it had 70,000 students and was awarding more degrees than Oxford and Cambridge combined.
• Wilson later said he wanted to be remembered for this creation
• By the middle of 1970 enough students had applied to begin studies in January 1971