The 1944 Education Act - Essay Example

Topic: Lecturer: Presentation: Introduction The education system in most countries is viewed as a solution to economic, social, and political problems of the economy at that particular time. Education policies are therefore, formulated in such contexts and the education system in Britain was not an exception. Education was seen as a means of enlightening the people and solving problems associated with industrialization which was taking place in Europe. Before then, individuals were engaged in artisan trades where they possessed particular skills and controlled their working schedules but industrialization brought about the need for educated people to handle various tasks in industries (Bates et al. 2011). Many education Acts were legislated to change the nature of education but the education Act of 1944 formed the basis for the present education system in Britain. The Education Act of 1944 was very crucial as it replaced all previous education legislations and set the framework for post-war education system in England and Wales aimed at promoting equality of opportunity for all pupils. It established the Ministry of Education and made education free and compulsory for pupils up to age 15. The Act also aimed at helping Britain to reconstruct its education system after it was disrupted by World War II. According to Lowe (2012) the war destroyed school buildings through bombing and millions of children were evacuated. Furthermore, there was need for an education system that would solve social and economic problems through state control. The paper will thus discuss the Education Act and its impact on education and the society after the Second World War. To understand the education policy, it is important to look at the education background in Britain before the war. During the pre-war period, education in Britain was dominated by independent and church schools belonging to the Roman Catholic and the Church of England. Britain being a liberal state did not interfere with education but left it in the hands of local boards and authorities which were democratic in nature (McNaughton & Burgess, 2003). The schools provided elementary education from age 5-14. Secondary education was restricted to a minority children hence formal education was usually over by the age of 12 leading to child labour. Since pupils paid school fees in independent schools, education divided people along social class; the wealthy people could afford to enter grammar schools and get employment thereafter while the working-class only managed to get basic skills from elementary education (Gates, 2005). Teachers were recruited for training based on their religious affiliation and the Catholic schools only admitted students from catholic families who were taught catholic faith. Another aspect of early education was the provision of meals and school milk for nutrition purposes. During the war, most children were evacuated from bomb prone areas and resettled in bomb free zones away from their parents. As a result, there was a mixture of races and differences which resulted in racial prejudice. There was a decline in cultural values and morality as parents could not monitor their children’s progress since the schools of choice where religious values were taught were far away (Lowe, 2012). The buildings were in a deplorable state due to bombing hence education was offered at home in selected premises. Due to the prevailing circumstances and the need to impart patriotism in citizens, there was need for an education system that would serve this purpose. Education was seen as a tool of transmitting cultural values and morality and also as a tool of social and economic policy since the society was becoming more complex requiring wide range of knowledge and skills. Bartlett and Burton (2007) argue that education was also to be used as a vehicle for equality of opportunity especially by ensuring implementation of the Beveridge report of 1942 which advocated for formation of a welfare state. To ensure everyone had better standard of living, education was to be used as the means of attaining a better livelihood by preparing individuals to take on jobs. Moreover, education could assist the economy to respond to external pressures such as globalisation. As a result, the conservative government through the president of the Board of Education Mr. Butler formulated the Education Act of 1944 which formed the basis for modern education. According to Bates et al (2011) the Act was aimed at ensuring equality of opportunity by provision of universal primary and secondary education and it affected education and the society in various ways. The Act changed the management of schools by abolishing the Board of Education and replacing it with the Ministry of Education headed by a minister. In this sense, the education system became under the control of the state and the Local Education Authorities (LEAs) were given mandate to carry out the minister’s orders and ensure provision and promotion of primary, secondary and higher education in their areas (Jones, 2003). Two central advisory councils for England and Wales were also formed to advise the minister on educational matters. The state control of education meant that schools could now receive funding from government in order to offer free education. It also meant schools could no longer operate as they deemed fit since they were under control of LEAs; all decisions were to be approved by LEA before enactment. More pupils could also now access education due to removal of fees. Another key change to the education system is the separation of primary and secondary education. Education was to be in three stages: primary, secondary, and further education and the LEAs were to contribute towards spiritual, moral, mental, and physical development of the community (Bates et al. 2011). Religious values were vital hence each day at school was to begin with collective worship and religious education syllabus was to be taught in schools. Gates (2005) notes that the syllabus was compiled by elected politicians, local church leaders, teachers and professionals. However, the parents had the right to remove children from religious worship if they wished although they had to seek permission from LEAs. The tripartite system of education came into place which involved primary schools and three types of secondary schools: grammar schools, secondary modern and secondary technical schools. Pupils took an exam (11-plus) to determine their abilities hence selection to different schools at age 11. The exam was based on numeracy, literacy, and intelligence of pupils. The top students joined grammar schools while the majority joined secondary modern. Since children from middle class had good upbringing and attended superior primary schools than those from working-class areas, most of them ended in grammar schools (Ball, 2008). Those from grammar schools were absorbed in managerial and professional jobs while those in secondary modern took up manual jobs and office work. The technical schools were very few and offered manual skills to those with abilities to take up skilled jobs. Bates et al (2011) argues that the success of pupils in the 11+ exam was used to judge schools hence some schools were seen as inferior and failure of the exam made pupils to lose self esteem. Education became free and compulsory to those aged between 5 and 15 and later 16. The parents had a duty to ensure pupils attended school regularly or face the law (Jones, 2003). The children with disabilities were incorporated at special schools after a medical exam, but those with minor disabilities could join ordinary schools. Besides provision of free education, the state also provided pupils with recreational facilities, meals, milk, and clothing. Transport was also offered to students to ensure they attend school especially if the selected school was far away. The Education Act did not deal with the problem of setting a national curriculum. The schools therefore, set the curriculum but religious education was compulsory on the syllabus. This enabled councils to provide education that would solve individual as well as societal needs. The curriculum was controlled and resourced by governors and head teachers hence it was not a matter of state. The voluntary schools were partly aided by the state and the church (aided) while controlled schools were controlled by LEA (Ball, 2008). The church schools were thus incorporated into the state system of education in exchange for provision of religious education. The teaching profession became important in post-war Britain. Teacher training was carried out to produce teachers with the required qualifications and to solve the problem of teacher shortages that was prevalent during the war. The LEAs had the duty of appointing and dismissing teachers if not performing well. However, their remunerations were set by committees approved by the minister, LEA, and teacher representatives (Jones, 2003). Unlike in the past, teachers could be employed in any school regardless of their religious affiliation. Though the education system was a success in ensuring free and compulsory education as well as improving the well being of society, it had some faults in that it divided people according to their abilities and aptitudes. The class divisions were also not entirely eliminated due to the selection process used. The teacher training schools were also few hence continued shortages of teachers especially in secondary technical schools (Ball, 2008). The education was thus reformed through various Acts to deal with those problems especially the provision of comprehensive schools. The 1944 Education Act was repealed in 1996. Conclusion The education system of a country is very crucial in solving social, economic and political problems. To this effect, the 1944 Education Act was very important in reforming the education system by ensuring free and compulsory education in order to raise standards of living of the society. The religious education ensured transmission of cultural values and morals that had been eroded through religious education syllabus. Children of the working class could also access grammar schools hence equality of opportunity. However, the Act failed to tackle the problem of class divisions, curriculum, and religious divisions in society. References Ball, S.J (2008). The education debate. Bristol: Policy Press Bartlett, S. and Burton, D., (2007). Introduction to education studies. London: Sage Bates, J., Lewis, S. and Pickard, A., (2011). Education policy, practice and the professional. London: Continuum Chitty, C., (2004) Education policy in Britain. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan Gates, B (2005) Faith schools and colleges of education since 1800. In R. Gardner., J. Cairns., and D. Lawton (eds). Faith schools: consensus or conflict? Abingdon: Routledge Jones, K., (2003) Education in Britain: 1944 to the present. Cambridge: Polity Press. Lowe, R (2012) Education in England during the Second World War. In R. Lowe (ed) Education and the second world war: studies in schooling and social change. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge McNaughton, N. and Burgess, G (2003) Understanding British and European political issues. UK: Manchester University Press. Read More