Functionalist theory of the role of comprehensives.
- Industrialisation increased the need for an educated workforce.
- state became more involved in education.
- Types of education depended on class background.
- Middle class had a higher curriculum.
- Functionalists also see the comprehemsive system as more meritocratic because it gives pupils a longer period to develop and show abilities.
- comprehensives promote social integration by bringing children of different social classes together in one school.
- Although Ford (1969) found little social mixing between working class and middle-class pupils, due to streaming.
Grammar schools
- Offered an academic curriculum and access to non-manual jobs and higher education.
- They were for pupils with academic ability who passed the 11+.
- These pupils were mainly middle class.
Educational policy in Britain before 1988
Secondary modern schools
The Tripartite system
context
Marxist theorie of the role of comprehensives
- From 1944 , education was influenced by meritocracy.
- 1944 education act brought the tripartite system.
- Children were selected and and assigned to one of 3 different schools, by an 11+ exam.
- Marxists argue that comprehensives are not meritocratic.
- They reproduce class inequality from one generation to the next through dtreaming and labelling.
- Although, not selecting children at age 11, appears to offer equal chances to all.
- 'myth of meritocracy' legitimates class inequality.
- Makes unequal achievement unfair and just.
- Failure looks like it is the fault of the individual, not the system
- Offered a non-academic, 'practical' curriculum and access to manual work for pupils who failed 11+.
- These pupils were mainly working class.
- There were no state schools before 18th and early 19th century.
- education was only available to a minority. (fee paying schools for the well-off and schools funded by churches and charities for a few poor.
- no public money was spent on education.
The comprehensive school system
- Introduced in many areas from 1965 onwards.
- Aimed to overcome class divide of the tripartite system and make education more meritocratic.
- Not all local education authority accepted, so the grammar-secondary modern divide still exists.