Figure 1.--Free state education for the working-class were contoversial in 19th century Britain. The debate shifted in the 20th century when some began to question private schools offering superior educational opportunities. Small classes and greater personal attention are factors leading to the better results chieved at private schools.. |
While the issue of private education has been addressed in other countries, the debate over state and private education is probably more divisive in Britain than any other European country. Totalitarian countries committed to the inculcation of narrow, unquestioned political and social ideologies invariably seize control over the education system in the countries where they have seized power. Little discussed is that the fact that the Soviet Union and other Communist countries had extensive, but often quite selective systems. Interestingly at a time when the British left sought to end private education, communist governments in Eastern Europe were restudying their educational policies. The Polish Government, for example, was in the process of allowing the Roman Catholic Church to reestablish private schools. Western democratic societies have consistently viewed private schools as an integral part of a pluralistic society, affording parents the right to choose institutions offering a wide range of social and religious values. The debate over private schools, however, does reveal a basic tension in western democratic countries between the rights of parents to provide for their children’s future in a competitive society and the state’s commitment to ensure that all children are guaranteed some minimal equality of opportunity. It is a difficult line to draw. To restrict the advantages that parents can offer their children impinges on one fundamental right, the prerogative of parents to make basic decisions concerning their children. To allow wealthy parents to provide advantages to their children threatens the perpetuation of deep seeded social inequities. This is particularly worrisome in countries which do not offer a high quality educational opportunity in the state system. Educators and parents alike in a large number of countries, including Britain and the United States, are becoming increasingly concerned about declining standards in the state sector.
While the issue of private education has been addressed in other countries, the debate over state and private education is probably more divisive in Britain than any other European country. This is presumably due to the historial patterns of British education and social class patterns. There was considerable reluctance among the British ruling classes to provide free public education to the working class. With the rise of the Labour Party in Britain, private education and the advantages that superior education provided those who could afford it has become controversial. The low teacher-pupil ration is an especially important advatage in the private schools. Subsequently the issue of selective education in the state system became controversial. There are many issues associated with education, but these are the two most important.
Totalitarian countries committed to the inculcation of narrow, unquestioned political and social ideologies invariably seize control over the education system in the countries where they have seized power. Little discussed is that the fact that the Soviet Union and other Communist countries had extensive, but often quite selective systems. Interestingly at a time when the British left was seeking to end or restrict private education, communist governments in Eastern Europe were restudying their educational policies. The Polish Government, for example, was in the process of allowing the Roman Catholic Church to reestablish private schools. These proccesses were truncated by the fall of Communism.
Western democratic societies have consistently viewed private schools as an integral part of a pluralistic society, affording parents the right to choose institutions offering a wide range of social and religious values. Private schools also offer choices as to approaches and school structure which may be most suitable for a partiular child.
The debate over private schools, however, does reveal a basic tension in western democratic countries between the rights of parents to provide for their children’s future in a competitive society and the state’s commitment to ensure that all children are guaranteed some minimal equality of opportunity. It is a difficult line to draw. To restrict the advantages that parents can offer their children impinges on one fundamental right, the prerogative of parents to make basic decisions concerning their children. To allow wealthy parents to provide advantages to their children threatens the perpetuation of deep seeded social inequities. This is particularly worrisome in countries which do not offer a high quality educational opportunity in the state system. Educators and parents alike in a large number of countries, including Britain and the United States, are becoming increasingly concerned about declining standards in the state sector. Many children at the schools we visited had parents who attended private schools, but numerous choldren we spoke with told us thast they began at private schools, but did not do well or their parents were disatisfied with their progress.
