The Sixties 1964-1970: Liberal Reforming Legislation

Question 1

What were the legislations passed under Wilson’s government?

Answer 1

1. End of capital punishment
2. Divorce reform
3. Legislation of abortion
4. Legislation of homosexual relations

Question 2

What were colleges of technology replaced by?

Answer 2

Polytechnics (focused on preparing students for work)

Question 3

What were the issues addressed with the education system?

Answer 3

1. A popular perception of secondary modern and grammar schools had made the system appear to be dividing social groups (working class attending secondary moderns and middle class attending grammar schools)
2. The growing number of comprehensive schools (pupils were selected based on where they lived instead of their performance in the 11+ exam) was seen as the solution

Question 4

When was the Open university established and what did it provide?

Answer 4

• 1969
• Attracted largely part time students that were able to engage with the distance learning offered, as well as mature or disadvantaged students who saw it as another opportunity at education

Question 5

When was Roy Jenkins made Labour Home Secretary?

Answer 5

1965

Question 6

What are the dates of the end of capital punishment?

Answer 6

1. 1965- hanging was abolished for a trial period of 5 years
2. 1969- this was made permanent

Question 7

When was the Divorce Reform Act?

Answer 7

1969

Question 8

What were the 2 reasons as to why couples could divorce?

Answer 8

1. If they had lived apart for 2 years and both partners agreed to a divorce
2. If they had lived apart for 5 years and 1 partner wanted a divorce

Question 9

What are the statistics for divorce in the 1970’s?

Answer 9

Nearly 10 in every 1000 marriages ended in divorce in comparison to 2 divorces every 1000 marriages in 1950

Question 10

When was abortion legalised?

Answer 10

1967

Question 11

How many illegal abortions were performed each year and how many women died/were hospitalised through unsafe abortions before its legislation?

Answer 11

Illegal abortions each year: 100,000-200,000
Hospitalised: 35,000
Died between 1958-1960: 82

Question 12

What swayed the publics opinion to accepting abortion?

Answer 12

The thalidomide disaster of 1959-1962

Question 13

What did the abortion act permit?

Answer 13

• The legal termination of a pregnancy within the 1st 28 weeks, under medical supervision and with the written consent of 2 doctors
• The only justification needed was the mental suffering of the pregnant woman, not just her physical condition

Question 14

How did the number of abortions increase between 1968 and 1975?

Answer 14

1968- 35,000
1975- 141,000

Question 15

When was the Sexual offences Act passed?

Answer 15

1967

Question 16

What did the Sexual Offences Act do?

Answer 16

• Didn’t legalise homosexuality but decriminalised it when 3 conditions were met:
  1. Both partners consented
  2. Both were over the age of 21
  3. it had to be in private

Question 17

How many pupils were educated in a comprehensive school by 1964?

Answer 17

1 in 10 (10 times as many than in 1951)

Question 18

How many comprehensive schools were there by 1970?

Answer 18

1145 (only 8 authorities had failed to create them)

Question 19

What did the Robbins Report find?

Answer 19

Britain was lagging behind France, Germany and the USA in the provision of university places and that too many students followed arts related courses and were excluding science and technology courses

Question 20

How did the Labour government respond to the Robbins Report?

Answer 20

1. Expanding higher education
2. Polytechnics replaced Colleges of Technology- their focus was to be on applied education for work and science and they would concentrate on teaching rather than research
3. 9 colleges of advanced technology became full universities
4. New universities were to be founded

Question 21

How many polytechnics and universities were there by 1968?

Answer 21

Polytechnics- 30
Universities- 56

Question 22

What did new educational institutions bring?

Answer 22

• New courses
• Provided the possibility to take a degree in town planning and architecture

Question 23

Who created the Open University?

Answer 23

Harold Wilson

Question 24

How many students did the Open University have by 1980?

Answer 24

70,000

Question 25

What did the Open University use, who did it recruit and who did it attract?

Answer 25

• Used TV and radio in innovative forms of distance learning
• Recruited part time students with a different social profile from traditional students
• Attracted mature women and the disadvantaged which helped to raise the esteem of those who had previously regarded themselves as educational failures