Changes in Education

Changes in Education
Module 2

Part One – An overview of the development of
Education in the UK which makes reference to key legislation and policy.

Part Two – An overview of a contemporary issue in education and an analysis of how the issue has been informed by historical perspectives.

Part One
Education aims to develop each individual intellectually and socially helping to bridge the gap between sustainability and social mobility (National Council of Educational Research and Training 2006). The development of education in England has undergone major change over the years, resulting in providing a more inclusive education, bringing about social change and improved educational practices. This assignment aims to provide an overview of the development of education in England.
The 2010 election resulted in a hung parliament, forming the current coalition government between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. The coalition formed the new Education Act (2011) which takes forward the legislative proposals in the Schools White Paper (The Department of Education (DfE, 2010a) to reform education in England. As part of this proposal, the Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove appointed an expert panel. The committee conducted a review of the National Curriculum, providing advice on the construction and content. The intention is to reduce the curriculum which has been criticized for been restrictive. According, to the Mr. Gove, the previous Labour government was too concerned with telling teachers how to teach (DfE 2010a). The coalition government cited a decline in England’s performance in The Programme for International Student Assessment league tables (DfE 2010b) giving their rational for introducing a new reform. However, Jerrim (2011) noted that a range of international test results show contradictory outcomes and that it remained uncertain whether England was rising or falling. Furthermore, trends in International Mathematics and Science

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