This article sifts the historical and philosophical soil out of which the comprehensive ideal in education has sprung. England's national school system emerged in the nineteenth century imbued with ruling-class assumptions about the education required for each supposed type of child destined to take his or her place in one of the three broad…

The post-war consensus has been dismantled in favour of a culture that rewards and empowers a small acquisitive elite at the expense of the great majority. This culture actively prevents the creation of a society of mutual recognition and respect. But without just such a society there can be no true comprehensive education. Where it exists,…

This article is based on an inaugural professorial lecture given by Jane Martin at the University of Birmingham on 3 December 2014. It grew out of research in progress on the life and work of the leading educational reformer, Caroline Benn, wife of one of the most prominent and controversial post-war socialists in Britain, Tony Benn.

Throughout the history of education different conceptions have been developed about the role and the function that education has in society as a whole. Such conceptions have been constructed around different discourses that show underlying social conflicts. The different educational practices acquire their legitimacy through such discourses, which…

It is 25 years since the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) was abolished and management of education in central London transferred to 13 London boroughs. The author reflects on the experience of being an ex-ILEA head teacher, and of managing one of the new local education authorities in the immediate post-ILEA period. He begins by commenting…

Anybody who has studied education over the past forty years is aware that secondary education in England is the subject of continuous and continuing debate. Everyone has been to school and therefore everyone lays claim to some expertise--the lot of teachers is never easy. But it is a contention of this article that teachers are at least partly…

One of the most remarkable developments in American education in the past half century has been the creation and rapid growth of the nation's community colleges. Built on the curricular pillars of vocational education, transfer programs, and community education, community colleges today are considered the "engines of statewide economic…

In 1964-65 a teacher at London's Kidbrooke School gave a speech that appeared critical of the Labour government's nascent comprehensivization policy. A "Times" editorial based on her comments influenced the tone and content of the crucial parliamentary debate of January 1965, which continues to have implications for the organization of…

British secondary schools moved from a system of extensive and early selection and tracking in secondary schools to one with comprehensive schools during the 1960s and 70s. Before the reform, students would take an exam at age eleven, which determined whether they would attend an academically oriented grammar school or a lower level secondary…

Two views of the introduction of comprehensive secondary education into England and Wales are examined: that it is an episode connected directly to postwar building of the welfare state, and destined to fail; and represents a fundamental and permanent shift in the perception of what secondary education should attempt. (MSE)

A discussion of the status of the comprehensive secondary school in Germany looks at its history within the overall educational system, curriculum design, the relatively traditional approach taken by West Germany in comparison to other European countries, and the chances for comprehensive schools in a united Germany. (MSE)

Focuses on the struggle that occurred within the Association for Science Education (ASE) between 1976 and 1981 as it formulated its policy for school science education. Addresses policy and the ASE's inability to respond quickly to changes in education, such as science education for all. (CMK)

On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Swedish comprehensive education, it is concluded that the system has attained some of its social and academic aims fully and approached attainment of others. Areas for further improvement include increased local governance, more clearly articulated goals, and curriculum development. (MSE)

East Carolina University has one of the few comprehensive substance abuse counselor education (SACE) programs in the nation that offers an undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level of preparation in substance abuse counseling. This article describes the evolution of this SACE from its beginning in 1972 to its current status. This comprehensive…

Overviews Finnish schools before 1970 and highlights subsequent reforms. Groups reform problems under four headings: conceptual, attitudinal, administrative, and geographical. (BRR)