Assess the reasons for the introduction of the comprehensive system and the extent to which it has succeeded.

Before the introduction to comprehensive schools, the types of secondary schools attended were Grammar schools (these were schools for the exceptionally intelligent children),Technical Schools for the children with an aptitude for technical subjects, and Secondary Modern schools for the majority of the children. The children that attended Secondary Modern Schools were seen as less academic and more practical. They had a bad reputation for the teaching in comparison to the and Grammar schools. These three types of secondary education were part of the Tripate System. The other type of secondary school before the introduction of Comprehensive education, that still commonly exists today are the Private Schools. These types of schools were attended by the more ‘better off’ society and the wealthier parents. There were more criticisms made than endorsement given to the tripate system. What was needed was a new type of secondary schooling that provided equality of educational opportunity.

Comprehensive Secondary Education was introduced into our lives in the year of 1944 to enable children of all abilities, and from different types of social background to attend the same school. This gave the children equal opportunities to obtain training and qualifications. Children at the age of 11 are seen to have different abilities and talents and they therefore require different types of education to suit them best.

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Comprehensive Secondary Schooling has been and still is a political issue. The Labour party and the Political party favoured comprehensives. In 1965 the Labour Government asked Local Education Authorities (LEA) to reorganise secondary education on comprehensive lines. BY 1970, approximately one third of children in secondary education were attending comprehensive schools. A while after 1970, the new Conservative Government issued a circular allowing grammar schools to exist alongside comprehensives - this defeated the whole object, there was no point in calling a school comprehensive if the brightest pupils in its area attend a local grammar school.

Critics of the comprehensive claimed it would lower educational standards. The introduction of Comprehensive secondary education was a new, fresh decision in society with no meritocracy provided equality with in society. Comprehensive education quickly became a widespread popular movement. This movement was unstoppable and the price paid were The Grammar Schools. Some people saw the comprehensive education as unfair to their ‘intelligent and hard working’ children and so, they persuded further into the independent sector and private schooling for their child’s education.

Educational attainment is linked to social class. In general, the higher the class position of the pupils parents, the higher the pupil’s educational qualifications. Supporters of comprehensive education hoped that class differences in educational attainment would be reduced by the comprehensive system. In particular, they hoped that the examination results of working class pupils would improve compared to those of middle class pupils.

Grammar school education deteriorated at a fast rate. They do still exist to this day, however comprehensive school education has taken priority in occupying society as a whole. I believe that Grammar school examination testing is a very unreliable source of determining intelligence. A child’s intelligence cannot and should not be assessed and evaluated at the age of 11 years of age by one exam. I personally believe that you can’t completely judge a persons intellectuality by any examination results but that is just my own opinion. Grammar school entrance examination is a particular type of exam. It is not a question of being ‘bright’ to pass the exam, but it is about understanding a particular type of question and answering to that question in a specific method.

The introduction to Secondary Comprehensive Education, I believe was a very good idea. With out it, the majority of the country would not be getting the education they have now and therefore would not have the jobs and lifestyles they have now!!

Shara Tochia

Sociology - BUCHS