Educational policy before 1988

Question 1

The comprehensive school system (1965)

Answer 1

This was introduced to overcome the tripartite system and make education more meritocratic.
- all pupils attend this and 11+ and other school types were abolished.
- theres still grammar and seocndary divides as the choice was up to local authorities.

Question 2

Tripartite system (1944)

Answer 2

Three types of schools:
- grammar schools where its mostly m/c students who passed 11+ exams and gives them academic curriculum for higher education
- secondary modern schools: mostly w/c who failed 11+ gives them curriculum for manual jobs.
- technical schools where it focuses on for a specific career path and only exists in a few areas.
- didnt promote meritocracy and only reproduced class inequality

Question 3

The role of comprehensives

Answer 3

• Functionalists promote bringing classes together. They believe this is more meritocratic allowing pupils to show off abilities and skills. However, Ford ( a sociologist ) found streaming causes little mix between m/c and w/c.
• Marxist says comprehensives arent meritocratic. This is bcos labelling and streaming reproduce class inequality. Gettin rid of 11+ causes myth of meritocracy where unequal achievemtn seems fair when its just making individual seem like it on themselves for failure.