The last quarter of the twentieth century was a very important period in history of education. Beginning with the so-called 'Great Debate', the period witnessed intense public and political interest in educational issues, culminating in an almost unprecedented amount of education-related legislation, the most symbolic of which was the Education Reform Act of 1988. Some scholars have rightly claimed that the education system was 'transformed' during this period, pointing to major changes in the ways in which schools, further education colleges and universities were organised, managed and controlled. Others have claimed that these changes altered the power relationships which had underpinned the education system since 1944. Given the sheer scale and pace of the education-policy related reforms of this period, this edited collection brings together some of the leading scholars in education to reflect on the major legislative and structural changes in education over the past few decades. Published in the year of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Callaghan's Ruskin College speech in 1976, it provides a definitive contemporary history of education policy in the late twentieth century. The editors bring together some of the leading educationalists to reflect on the major legislative and structural changes in the field over the last twenty five years. The book will be of use to education students on undergraduate and postgraduate courses, as well as students and academics working in social policy.
List of illustrations viii Notes on contributors ix PART I Introduction and historical overview 1(28) Introduction and rationale 3(9) John Furlong Robert Phillips Education, the state and the politics of reform: the historical context, 1976-2001 12(17) Robert Phillips PART II The changing institutional context 29(72) The colonisation of the primary curriculum 31(14) Jim Campbell Affirming and contesting the comprehensive ideal: from common schooling to selection? 45(13) Geoffrey Walford Further education: a suitable case for treatment? 58(14) Martin Jephcote Prue Huddleston Creating a mass system of higher education: participation, the economy and citizenship 72(15) Gareth Rees Dean Stroud Educational devolution and nation building in Wales: a different Great Debate? 87(14) Robert Phillips Richard Daugherty PART III Professionalism, accountability and standards 101(74) The reinvention of teacher professionalism 103(15) Gary McCulloch Reforming teacher education, re-forming teachers: accountability, professionalism and competence 118(18) John Furlong Empowerment or performativity? Assessment policy in the late twentieth century 136(20) Patricia Broadfoot Standards, achievement and educational performance: a cause for celebration? 156(19) Peter Tymms Carol Fitz-Gibbon PART IV Issues of equality 175(62) Special needs education from Warnock to Salamanca: the triumph of liberalism? 177(15) Alan Dyson Roger Slee Some success, could do better: education and race 1976-2000 192(15) Sally Tomlinson Gender and education policy: continuities, transformations and critical engagements 207(15) Madeleine Arnot Miriam David Gaby Weiner Restructuring the education/social class relation: a class choice? 222(15) Susan Robertson Hugh Lauder PART V Conclusion 237(18) Educational performance, markets and the state: present and future prospects 239(16) Tony Edwards Index 255
John Furlong, Robert Phillips
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