EDUCATIONAL POLICY - 1994 Butler Act

Question 1

What were the Conservatives’ 4 Main Aims?

Answer 1

• Limit class-based educational inequalities
• Create three schools, with similar educational provisions
• Provide education to everyone and introduced a more effective meritocracy for education
• Parity of esteem in schools for students

Question 2

What is a Tripartite Education System?

Answer 2

A 3-part system of Secondary Education

Question 3

What are Grammar Schools?

Answer 3

Schools that emphasise academic education over other forms of education, such as vocational education

Question 4

What are Secondary Technical Schools?

Answer 4

Schools that are seen as acceptable for students who are better at technical subjects, such as Wood Tech and DT!

Question 5

What are Secondary Modern Schools?

Answer 5

Schools that are seen as acceptable to students best suited for practical tasks

Question 6

What is the definition of Parity of Esteem?

Answer 6

Equal Status for all students!

Question 7

What did the Beveridge Report (1942) identify?

Answer 7

The report identified that the state needed to tackle ‘ignorance’ (one of the ‘Big 5’).

Question 8

Outline the Conservatives’ Education Policy in 1944. HINT: Name as many points as you can; there are 3 main points here!

Answer 8

• The beginning of Modern State Education = Mandatory school attendance up until 14, and school was made available for children of all classes (not just middle and upper class children)
• A tripartite system was introduced and provided 3 types of secondary school, each with different focuses on the ability of their students. These included:
• Grammar Schools - For academically able pupils
• Technical Schools - For technical students
• Secondary Modern Schools - For everyone else
• Students would take an IQ test at age 11; those who passed could attend Grammar or Technical Schools (11+ test)

Question 9

What were the Successes of the 1944 Butler Act? HINT: Name as many as you can; there are 3 here!

Answer 9

• Popular with some people = Especially the middle-classes
• Over 150 grammar schools still operate in the UK today
• After being criticised regarding comprehensivisation and for entrapping some children to attend underfunded schools, the tripartite system gave them an opportunity to go to a better school

Question 10

What were the Failures of the 1944 Butler Act? HINT: Name as many as you can; there are 6 here!

Answer 10

• Few technical schools existed
• Most students only had access to grammar or secondary modern schools
• Grammar schools were seen as more ‘prestigious’ and were only attended by 20% of students; in some parts of the country, as little as 12% of students attended grammar schools
• Secondary modern schools were see as ‘failures’, despite making up 75% of students
• The pass marks for girls were set higher (unfair)
• The social-class divide remained intact, due to the prestigiousness of grammar schools