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The prep schools are a part of the much larger story of British education. Education in Britain, especially state-funded education, was controversial from the start. The history of British education is a fascinating account. There are many different types of schools that have comd and gone in Britain. The prep schools and related public schools are just two of these different types of schools. Some objected to the cost. Others objected to the social consequences of an educated working class. As a result, state-funded education in Britain lagged behind that in many other European countries and America. Today in the British welfare state, it is the private schools that are controversial. One of the many controversies surrounding British education.
The prep schools are a part of the much larger story of British education. Education in Britain, especially state-funded education, was controversial from the start. The history of British education is a fascinating account. The basic educational history of Britain was covered in our first book, Boys' Preparatort Schools. There are many different types of schools that have comd and gone in Britain. The prep schools and related public schools are just two of these different types of schools. There was considerable resistance in Britain to free public education. Some objected to the cost. Others objected to the social consequences of an educated working class. As a result, state-funded education in Britain lagged behind that in many other European countries and America. The story of British education of course varies somewhat from country to country. The development of the Scottish education system in particular is someswhat different to that in England. We are going to focus on just one part of the British educational history--the preparatory school.
A valid evaluation of the English state education system is clearly beyond the capabilities of this study. A basic understanding of British state education, however, is helpful to put the preparatory schools we are discussing in context. State education was from the beginning a controversial issue and remains so today. The issues have changed over time, but the controversies surrounding state education have contunued. An extensive debate was conducted in Britain over selection in the state schools. Many Britains objected to the 11+ exam and the idea of selective education. As far as we can tell, the debate was waged on largely ideological grounds rather than any real assessment of the academic merits of the system. As a result, most selective grammar schools were phased out and Britons now attend comprehensives, similar to American high schools. Now the issue of streaming within the comprehensives has arisen. There are no doubt many fine state schools offering a first class education to their students. It is clear, however, that many English parents are dissatisfied with their local state schools. We are not talking about . the moneyed-eliete in England which attended independent schools as children and never seriously considered state schools. Many of the parents now choosing independent education in England are middle-class parents who did not attend independent schools, but are opting for independent schools. Various authors have suggested how this problem should be faced. Only one element would be agreed to by the politicians and educators facing the challenge, any successful program would be enormously beneficial. The authors can not begin to address the problem in this study, but are not optimistic that the state can effectively meet the challenge.
Today in the British welfare state, it is the private schools that are controversial. One of the many controversies surrounding British education. Britain’s independent schools are the subject of an extensive and long-standing debate. The Labour Party views the private schools with considerable disfavor, seeing them as a socially divisive remanent of privilege. They believe that by “creaming off” some of the better students, private schools not only give their pupils and unfair advantage, but lower the standards of the state schools which are increasingly dominated by the comprehensive secondary schools. Since the World War II, most British state school systems have done away with the Eleven-Plus examination which evaluated children at 11 years of age for admission to the country’s academically oriented grammar schools or the secondary modern schools with lower academic standards. Now most British children go to comprehensive secondary schools when they finish elementary school at about 12 years of age. Comprehensive schools are comparable to American high schools with a mixed range of abilities present in the same school. As an American viewing the British debate on the shift from grammar school to comprehensive it would seem that attitudes are largely determined on ideological grounds. It would seem a reasonably simple task to determine if comprehensive education has aided or hindered the ability of gifted children to achieve academically or if comprehensive education has improved the academic skills of the average Britain. As many times that I have discussed the subject with British friends are heard in discussed in public fora, almost always it is simply an airing of deeply felt ideological views.
