FORMAL EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN

Changes in the education system since the 1870 Education Act

Difference between Formal and Informal Education

• Formal Education– What students are taught from the syllabus

• Informal Education– Norms and values acquired from the school

environment, e.g. what you are told and acceptance of a hierarchy. Sociologists often call informal education the “_________________”

The 1944 Education Act

Primary Ed. Secondary Ed. Social Class

Age 5 – 11 Age 11-15 (raised to 16 in 1972)

Selection by 11+ exam FAIL

FAIL

PASS Grammar Schools

Technical Schools

Secondary Modern Schools

Upper middle /

middle class

Lower middle / skilled manual working class

Working Class

The Tripartite System

The Tripartite System

• Unfair, unreliable, inaccurate IQ TEST – why?• Disadvantaged groups affected – who? • Failure to enter Grammar School – impact?

ALTERNATIVE? ACCEPT EVERYONE of ALL ABILITIES.

Tripartite System abolished in many areas.

CRITICISMS

Comprehensive Education

• Majority attend comprehensive education.• No selection by examination or by ability• Same type of schools for children of all

abilities• All children taught in mixed ability classes

BUT streaming classes do take place in some comprehensive schools

“no more selective schooling”

Late developers benefit

More social mixing, Less

social divisions

Reduced risk of Self Fulfilling

Prophecy

Advantages of Mixed Ability

teaching

Working class students benefit

Comprehensive EducationThe Good

• Lose out the most able pupils to selective (grammar) schools ‘Creaming off’

• Less able pupils slow down pace of learning

‘High flyers’ are held back

• Large size accommodated, high teacher-pupil ratio

Overlooked talents and discipline problems

• Streamed comprehensives are still ‘selective’

Stretching the most able

Comprehensive EducationThe Bad

Marketisation of Education “Treat Schools like Businesses”

Based on free market principles, forces of

supply and demand

Competition and

Consumer Choice

Schools now meet needs of industry

and businesses

Ensures educational standards are raised

for everyone

Why Marketisation?

Economic Efficiency• stay competitive as a world economy

Industry-relevant skills• via Vocational Education, flexible workforce

Improve Overall Standards• encourage healthy competition, all benefit

Create EQUALITY OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY in a MERITOCRATIC SOCIETY

4 key reasons