Evaluation of Changes to the Educational System

• Few Technical Schools were built
• No Parity of Esteem - Many secondary modern students seen as failures
• Girls achieved better but had fewer places.
• Many Grammar schools were boys only,
• Class divide remained - two thirds of grammar school students were middle class.

Positives:

• Served the interests of the middle-classes well
• Guaranteed Social Mobility for working class students in a grammar school
• Some research suggests it gave working class students better chances than they have today.

• Based on Catchment Zones - Success became linked to geographical mobility
• Organised by Ability - Led to divides between classes still

The Studies:

• Hargreaves (1967) and Ball (1981) showed that the class divide was still present through setting and streaming
• New Right Thinkers say that the system caused poor discipline and poor results (this is debated as exam results actually went up)

• Hidden Political Agenda
• Creates discipline, not work skills
• Retained prevalent gender stereotyping

The Studies

• Cohen (1984) stated the purpose of the courses was to prepare them and make them willing to accept lower paid work, rather than giving them the skills to succeed.
• Buswell (1987) stated that these courses helped to reinforce gender divides, with boys pushed towards physical tasks and girls given domestic lessons in hairdressing and cookery.

• Damaging Effect on children through repetitive testing
• League Tables and Ofsted were counter productive
• Reinforced Class Differences

The Studies:

• Ball et al (1984) middle class pupils have more cultural capital with which to socialise with teaching staff, meaning they get a better deal in and out of lessons.