The Secondary Modern System

By Author: peter
Total Articles: 191
Comment this article

Selection procedures at the age of 11 proved to be the Achilles' heel of the grammar school — secondary modern system. Various developments contributed to the downfall of selection at 11: first, the examination successes of the secondary modem schoolchildren; second, the failure of a significant proportion of the children so carefully selected for grammar schools; third, the report of a committee appointed by the British Psychological Society supported arguments that education itself promotes intellectual development and float "intelligence" tests do not in fact measure genetic endowment but rather educational achievement.

The main issue in the 1950s and 1960s was whether or not the grammar schools should be retained with selection at 11 plus. One of the main arguments used! Was that the right of "parental choice" must be upheld. Another was that it was in the "Girlish tradition" Omega Speedmaster Replica to retain a se-active system. But gradually the number of comprehensive (nonselective) schools increased. The labor Party ...
... during the election of 1964 promised to promote the establishment of the comprehensive school and to abolish selection at 11 plus. On taking office, however, the Labor government, instead of legislating, issued a circular in the belief that this would enlist local support and encourage local initiative.

The result was conflict between national policy and local policy in some areas. The Conservative government elected in 1970 declared its intention of leaving decisions about reorganization to the local authorities. The comprehensive principle has since become dominant, and the number of comprehensive schools has grown under both Labor and Conservative governments so that most state-maintained secondary schools are now comprehensive. The administrative compromise of leaving organizational options open to local authorities has permitted variations to continue, however. Five to 6 percent of the school population attends completely independent private schools. Enrollment at the exclusively academic, often prestigious and costly independent secondary schools may be preceded by attendance at private preparatory schools.

The compromise regarding school organization is representative of the British educational
Administrations' attempt to balance local and national interests delicately. Local education authorities are responsible for basic school operations, and much of the professional responsibility is passed on to the school.

Ultimate authority for education is at the national level, with the Department of Education and Science (formerly the Ministry of Education) headed by the secretary of state for education and science. The department is the agent of governmental policy. It reaches schools through circulars and directives as well as through Her Majesty's Inspectors Frank Mulle Replica of Schools. The inspectors increasingly advise and report on the general condition of schooling. Probably the issue that has received the most attention has been the relationship of education to the economy, to industry, to work. Much of the impact of this attention has been on the post compulsory sector. Schemes developed outside of the educational establishment are providing training for young school-leavers. The Technical and Vocational Education Initiative calls for local education authority cooperation with the Manpower Services Commission in the introduction of technical courses which span school and post-school training. Recent reforms to the examination and certification system exemplify the government's thrust toward improvement of the education economy link, toward rationalization of the system, and toward coordinated, standardized assessment procedures.