Gcse The Role Of Education Essay

Throughout the UK, the expected benchmark of GCSE’s an individual is to achieve is five, including English and Maths at grades A*-C. These requirements are important because it gives individuals an opportunity for further education and a future in the workforce. Today, ‘65%’ of deaf children are failing to meet these requirements compared to ‘36%’ of children with no special educational needs (SEN), (The Guardian, 2016). Why is that?
According to the 1890 Education Act, compulsory schooling for children ages 5-12 was made a priority. Blind and deaf children were also granted compulsory education under the 1893 Elementary Education (Blind and Deaf Children) Act (Parliament.uk).
They are our future doctors, lawyers, accountants, actors and so forth, so it is very important they are educated to the best of their ability. The role of the Education Act is to justify that education is for everyone, no matter their situation. Rich, poor or disabled an individual should be treated fairly and educated in the same manor. Blair supports the Education Act, stating that: “Our top priority was, is and always will be education, education, education.” (Labour’s education manifesto, 2001)
There was a period in history when children and adults were classified as the same, there was no such thing as childhood just adulthood. Historian Philippe Aries explains in his book ‘Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life’ (1960) that childhood was distinctive pre-1700 compared to what it is today. An individual was titled as an “infant”, “youth” or an “old person” not because of their sequential age but due to their habits and physical appearance “A child of seven years might still be considered an “infant” and a man of forty years might still be considered a “youth”” (Aries,