Bøger af Brian Simon

The second of four studies in the "History of Education in England," this volume traces developments from the securing of universal education with the Act of 1870 to the conclusion of the First World War. These educational developments were marked by the increasing role played by organised Labour in pressing for reform of the system of universal education - opposing class privilege and prejudice, and urging equal opportunities for all. With the formation of the Public Schools, and then with the defeat of the School Boards which were trying to improve the opportunities for working class children, a divided system of education became well established, in which the few were trained for university entrance and then for the top jobs, while the mass were denied any but an "elementary" education. While Labour opposition to this division was unsuccessful, many vital concessions were won in those years, such as the abolition of school fees and the provision of school meals. Very interesting chapters are devoted to the effects of imperialist expansion on educational ideas, and to the developments and conflicts in adult education.

At head of title: Studies in the history of education.

The fourth and final in the "Studies in History of Education in England" this volume examines the changes and developments in the British education system from the Second World War to the eve of the millennium. Education has always been a battlefield and never more so than in Britain in the second half of the twentieth century. Simon argues that educational policy usually reflects the outcome of a struggle between progressives who see reform as a first step towards social change, and conservatives who prefer a stratified system which reflects existing social divisions. It documents the changes that took place as the result of these battles: it begins with the 1944 Education Act and the massive extension of educational opportunity that took place in the postwar period; it then deals with the subsequent prolonged debates about comprehensive education, and other measures of liberalisation during the 1960s and 1970s; and it ends with the years of Conservative government, the 1980s and 1990s, when systematic attempts were made to reverse the advances that had been made during the earlier period. Winner of the History of Education Society Prize 1991-92 Winner of the Standing Conference for Studies in Education Prize 1991-92