1988 Education Reform Act To achieve the 4 main aims The Tripartite System and 11+ in 1944
they introduced:
● Grammar schools: Offered an academic curriculum and access to non-manual
- Facts jobs and higher education. They were for pupils with academic ability who
- A national curriculum
- Implemented by Thatcher’s Conservative (New passed the 11+.
- Key stages
Right) government ● Secondary modern schools: offered a non-academic, ‘practical’ curriculum and
- SATs
- They favoured a ‘free market’ approach to access to manual work for students who did not pass the 11+.
- GCSEs
education. For example it should operate like a
- League tables ● (Technical schools: existed in a few areas only, today it no longer
market
- OFSTED exists)
- They believed that by making schools compete with
- Formula funding
each other, the UK’s standard of education would - This tripartite system and 11+ produced class
- Grant maintained
improve inequality by channeling the two social classes
schools
- 4 main aims - City technology into two different types of schools that offered
Selection: the
1. Raising standards (increasing competition) colleges unequal opportunities.
- It also produced gender inequality by tripartite system
2. Creating a more standardised education system
(same for everybody, curriculum, opportunities, requiring girls to gain higher marks (Policies of
etc.) than boys in the 11+ to get selection)
3. Make schools more accountable (for student into a grammar school.
From 1944, education began to be influenced
progress, how money is spent, teaching etc.) by the idea of ‘meritocracy’: individuals
4. Creating a ‘parentocracy’ (parental choice) should achieve their status in life through
their own effort and ability rather than
(The New Right also wish for the state to be involved as Education - background from class and birth. The
little as possible). tripartite system was created.
1944/1965
Educational
‘Streaming’ problem Policies The comprehensive school system in 1965
- This streaming problem leads to the Middle class This system was introduced in many areas from 1965, and aimed to
ending up in higher streams. overcome the class divide that the tripartite system began to create
and make education even more ‘meritocratic’.
This is not beneficial as some students can have different aspects The 11+ was abolished along with secondary moderns and
of intelligence, e.g. a student may be happy in the top set of grammars.
English but stay behind in science top set as they don’t have the It was all replaced by comprehensive schools. All pupils in the area
ability. would attend.
In addition to this, Lower class pupils are not able to reach their
full potential when stuck in lower streams.
- (1965)
Strengths of Weaknesses of They were introduced by Labour, and this
Comprehensives Comprehensives substituted the tripartite system. Most of the UK's
Top set grammar schools no longer exist.
Maths,
- Students are put on - Mixed ability
English, (does not level grounds with teaching may hold Comprehensive schools allowed anyone to
Science go into equal opportunities more clever students
other attend, even without exams such as the
- Allows for mixed back. 11+; it wasn’t based on ability.
Bottom set streams) ability teaching, - There can be big
Maths, where clever differences in quality
English, students can help between different
Science weaker students comprehensives.
they introduced:
● Grammar schools: Offered an academic curriculum and access to non-manual
- Facts jobs and higher education. They were for pupils with academic ability who
- A national curriculum
- Implemented by Thatcher’s Conservative (New passed the 11+.
- Key stages
Right) government ● Secondary modern schools: offered a non-academic, ‘practical’ curriculum and
- SATs
- They favoured a ‘free market’ approach to access to manual work for students who did not pass the 11+.
- GCSEs
education. For example it should operate like a
- League tables ● (Technical schools: existed in a few areas only, today it no longer
market
- OFSTED exists)
- They believed that by making schools compete with
- Formula funding
each other, the UK’s standard of education would - This tripartite system and 11+ produced class
- Grant maintained
improve inequality by channeling the two social classes
schools
- 4 main aims - City technology into two different types of schools that offered
Selection: the
1. Raising standards (increasing competition) colleges unequal opportunities.
- It also produced gender inequality by tripartite system
2. Creating a more standardised education system
(same for everybody, curriculum, opportunities, requiring girls to gain higher marks (Policies of
etc.) than boys in the 11+ to get selection)
3. Make schools more accountable (for student into a grammar school.
From 1944, education began to be influenced
progress, how money is spent, teaching etc.) by the idea of ‘meritocracy’: individuals
4. Creating a ‘parentocracy’ (parental choice) should achieve their status in life through
their own effort and ability rather than
(The New Right also wish for the state to be involved as Education - background from class and birth. The
little as possible). tripartite system was created.
1944/1965
Educational
‘Streaming’ problem Policies The comprehensive school system in 1965
- This streaming problem leads to the Middle class This system was introduced in many areas from 1965, and aimed to
ending up in higher streams. overcome the class divide that the tripartite system began to create
and make education even more ‘meritocratic’.
This is not beneficial as some students can have different aspects The 11+ was abolished along with secondary moderns and
of intelligence, e.g. a student may be happy in the top set of grammars.
English but stay behind in science top set as they don’t have the It was all replaced by comprehensive schools. All pupils in the area
ability. would attend.
In addition to this, Lower class pupils are not able to reach their
full potential when stuck in lower streams.
- (1965)
Strengths of Weaknesses of They were introduced by Labour, and this
Comprehensives Comprehensives substituted the tripartite system. Most of the UK's
Top set grammar schools no longer exist.
Maths,
- Students are put on - Mixed ability
English, (does not level grounds with teaching may hold Comprehensive schools allowed anyone to
Science go into equal opportunities more clever students
other attend, even without exams such as the
- Allows for mixed back. 11+; it wasn’t based on ability.
Bottom set streams) ability teaching, - There can be big
Maths, where clever differences in quality
English, students can help between different
Science weaker students comprehensives.
