Critically assess the relationship between national identity and schooling in the period 1870-1939?

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Critically assess the relationship between national identity and schooling in

the period 1870-1939?

The relationship between national identity and schooling is one that has been

seen as both a problem, where by the integrating of the concept of national

identity into schooling is seen as the “poison” that generates “cross-national

conflict” (1) and a defensive reaction to preventing and dealing with the

problems that Britain faced during that epoch, where the political and social

environment in Europe “provided a sort of hothouse atmosphere for nationalistic

writings of the most fervent kind”(2)

“Dr Tate outlined in brief that ‘national identities depended on stories ‘and

that teachers need to provide children ‘with a sense of belonging to a community

which stretches back into the past and forward into the future ’ in order to

five them ‘ a sense of meaning’” (3) The idea of creating a sense of belonging

for children, is one that is shared worldwide, humans I have been told, need

narratives, however the use of ‘national identities’ here is used in a positive

and discreet in content manner. I wonder what concepts does Dr Tate associate

with national identities, and what aspects of the past and future should

children be informed about?

To answer the question given I will look deeply into, the relationship between

national identity and schooling, ways of introducing national identity in

schooling, threat abroad and at home, the effects, the problems and questions

raised by the idea of national identity in schooling.

I will begin by introducing some of the important Legislations and Codes

introduced by the government as these reflect the concern of the day, and play

an important role in schooling, and national identity.

The revised code of 1862 introduced a new concern arising over the education

attained in schools, and thus the ‘payment by results’ system was introduced,

and teachers were paid for those that achieved results. The importance of this

central part of legislation was that it governed the activities precipitated in

schools. These school codes were issued by the government to dictate what should

be taught in schools and at what level for what age. Attendance and a uniformed

standard of education were central to what the government sought to achieve in

this legislation. This piece of legislation was hated so much by the teachers,

and thus it was attacked by masses of teachers thus was withdrawn in 1898.

The New Code of 1871 awarded 40 hour drills per year via grant aid. The drills

were seen as a form of implementing the importance of obedience into the

children. The importance of obedience was seen as vital to the social stability

of the school.

The introduction of additional ‘specific subjects’ i.e. English, Geography and

History, for those who got to level five, were paid for by the government. The

government attempted to widen the curriculum, thus those who couldn’t pass were

removed from schools, this also proves that most children didn’t perform very

well and may never have got to that level.

The 1875 code emphasized on the importance of punctuality, manners and

cleanliness being “close to Godliness” and the 1904 Code emphasized that the

purpose of elementary schooling was to create and strengthen the character of

the child, to develop intelligent children, children should be taught to be good

‘followers’ not ‘leaders’, this was especially so for the working class child.

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The idea of good manners in schools was characterized by the emerging importance

of the rule implemented by children who found that they were to be seen and not

to be heard.  This is an extremely symbolic order, as it displays to us that

children were dictated to, they were not to engage but to listen. This to me

also shows that schools were a place of extremely important political value.

After all the children of today are the future tomorrow, and thus it is logical

to presume, those schools were the playground of political upbringing.

The ...

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