Amid the horrors of the Second World War, a group of Board of Education officials met to plan a new public education system which would be fair to and free for all. In the seventy years since then, successive governments have not only failed to live up to their vision but have increasingly sought to interfere with the teaching and learning process…

This report considers the role of universities in promoting academic freedom and freedom of speech, and some of the constraints surrounding these freedoms. These issues are not straightforward and are often contested. The report does not offer easy solutions or absolute rules but seeks to map out the different considerations that might need to be…

There is an extensive structure of formal student assessment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Although the structures in each of these countries were similar when they were initially introduced two decades ago, they have increasingly diverged over the last decade. This national description outlines the development of statutory assessment…

The reconstruction of the postsecondary sector described in the 1991 White Paper "Education and Training for the 21st Century" leaves many questions unanswered and falls short of labor force demands. Retaining A levels and instituting differentiated diplomas will not bridge the vocational/academic divide. Reliance on the Training and…

The process of the passage of the Education Reform Bill in Great Britain is likely to be long and controversial. The bill is likely to have a major impact on the funding and administration of higher and further education. It is likely that polytechnics and other major institutions now under the control of local authorities will obtain corporate…

This document, one of a series of British occasional papers on adult basic education, provides a variety of views on the British Education Reform Act (ERA) of 1988. The papers and their authors are "A Chief Education Officer's View of the Education Reform Act" (Michael Garnett); "Basic Education--Some Reflections" (Tom Irwin);…

Describes the structure of finance in the English education system; and examines the significance of the local management of schools legislation in terms of the following concepts: (1) formula; (2) delegated finance; (3) staffing delegation; (4) open enrollment; and (5) performance indicators. (18 references) (MLF)

Discusses the change to a choice-based school system in Great Britain under the Education Reform Act of 1988. Compares the British system with proposed changes in the United States. Describes the changes that have placed budgeting and management in the hands of the individual schools that have the power to "opt out" of school district…

In this article, the author discusses how England refines its accountability reforms. When the Conservative government crafted the Education Reform Act of 1988, which mandates a national curriculum for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, as well as national-curriculum tests at ages 7, 11, and 14, schools in England were permitted to secede from…

Summarizes a study examining the impact of England's 1988 Education Reform Act on a group of 138 parents whose children (first-year students) would be most affected. The success of Britain's educational reform is debatable. Although parents are happy with their children's schools, they have reservations about governmentally imposed changes. (19…

Traces educational reform related to history education in Great Britain since the first Margaret Thatcher administration. Outlines the work of the History Working Group and two competing approaches to the study of history. Describes how conservative forces rejected pluralistic history in favor of traditional nationalist-based history. (CFR)

Examines the impact of innovations associated with the Education Reform Act (England) on the management of school change in primary schools. Documents growing tensions between collegial and top-down managerial styles based on quantitative data. Discusses ways to reconcile the emphasis on cooperative working within the context of increased…

The Educational Reform Act (ERA) of 1988 reflects the most comprehensive restructuring of education in Britain in this century. This paper discusses the implementation of the National curriculum, the innovation at the heart of the ERA. The first part of the paper offers the views of educational commentators on changes resulting from this law.…

This paper reports on findings from a 1990-93 PACE (Primary Assessment, Curriculum and Experience) study concerning the impact of the United Kingdom's Education Reform Act on teachers' professional perspectives and responses to change. Data are drawn from interviews with a national sample of 88 teachers and more intensive classroom study…

Explores three constitutional responses to religion and the respective consequences for moral education. Explores the place of England and Wales on this spectrum, and examines the effects of the 1988 Educational Reform Act on moral/religious education. Highlights the role of reason in resolving autonomy/authority conflicts in religious education.…