The British education system is decentralized and oriented towards perpetuating the existing social order. Children from wealthy families typically attend private "public schools" while others go to state schools until age 16. The most prestigious universities are Oxford and Cambridge, which have historically educated many of Britain's elite and influential figures. However, the education system also promotes social inequality by concentrating privileged populations in selective schools and reinforcing class divisions through factors like accents. Rising tuition fees also threaten diversity and social mobility in higher education.

1. THE BRITISH
EDUCATION SYSTEM
An Overview

2. So British!
 “Public Schools” in GB are not public but
privately owned and run
 Children of the upper class are educated in
Public Schools
 Most schools in England require children to
wear a school
uniform.

3. Why uniforms?
 A sense of pride and discipline
 Creates identity for a school
 Everyone is equal.
 No expensive clothes for children
 Stop worrying about what to wear each day

4. Purpose of Education
 Teach basics – reading, writing, math
 Socialize: children taught rules and values
needed to become good citizens
 State heavily involved –when, where, how and
what children taught

5. Controversial questions in
education
• What sort of English should students learn?
• Should students be forced to speak in a standardized
way rather than regional accents
Other controversial questions:
 Educational policy can determine if class inequality can
be erased or continued
 Continued debate over how “EQUAL” educational
opportunity should be
 Opportunities very different between classes

6. Primary Schools
 Education compulsory between 5 and 16
 before the age of 3, few child minding
facilities
 Often mothers sacrifice their career
 Wealthier families pay nannies
 From the outset children do not enjoy equal
chances

7. Secondary Schools
Independent Schools
 Wealthier parents send their children to fee-
paying independent schools, where children
are put on the road to wealth, success &
influence.
 Grammar schools: 7 Boarding ( like Eton,
Harrow, Rugby, Winchester,…) + 2 day
schools
 A significant number of influential people in the
UK went to this type of grammar school.

8. Famous Etonians
•Out of 53 Prime Ministers 19
went to Eton
•Only 10 had « normal »
secondary education

9. Secondary Schools
State Schools
 Brightest students get a grant to go to
Grammar Schools.
 Others go to Comprehensive Schools until 16
 Schools ran by Local Education Authorities
 There are 152 LEA in England
 Since the 1988 Education Act, schools can opt
out and thus become autonomous in budget.

10. LEA Responsibilities
 distribution and monitoring of funding
 Admission and allocation of places at each
school
 direct employers of all staff
 educational achievement of children
 attendance and advisory rights in employment
of teachers
 owners of school land and premises in
community schools

11. Problems with the system
 Schools opting out can resort to whatever
measure to decrease costs (Lowering
maintenance costs, larger classes, underpaid and
overworked teachers…)
 Inner city schools: concentration of the least
privileged population -> 40% of pupils hardly
speak English -> greater risk of failure -> more
dropouts.
 National Curriculum, but ystem promotes
regional differences and disparities, (regional
accents)

12. Higher Education
 As with secondary education, most
universities in the UK are dominated by top
universities: Oxford and Cambridge.
 Role of Oxbridge in perpetuating the
Establishment
 The most influential people in the UK tend to
graduate from these universities.
 Their history and reputation tends to attract
the smartest scholars

13. Famous Oxonians
 HM King Abdullah II of Jordan

14. Famous Oxonians
 Hugh Grant, Actor

15. Famous Exonians
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, former
President and Prime Minister of
Pakistan

16. Famous Exonians
Bill Clinton, Former
President of the USA

17. Famous Exonians
Margareth Thatcher,
Former Prime Minister
UK
Out of 53 Prime Ministers 26 graduated from Oxford and 14 from Cambridge

18. University
 Prestige of Humanities: Studying “useless”
subjects is a sign of class
 The system can contribute to enhance social
differences.
 With public schools, Oxford and Cambridge
are the places where many of the decision
makers are produced

19. University
Funding
 Education is funded by government grants.
 Pupils apply directly to university or college
 When accepted, they apply for a maintenance
grant
 Maintenance grants cover living expenses and
their tuition fees.

20. Rising cost of higher education

21. Tuition fees
 Consecutive reforms to rise tuition fees
 1996: 1,000 £
 2015:9,000£
 Rising student debt
 Threat to diversity
 Protests in London
Nov. 5, 2015

22. Education and Social Classes
 Education system in Britain decentralized
 It is oriented towards the perpetuation of the
existing social order
 Prevents the disappearance of the most useful
means of social discrimination:
The accent.

23. Social Mobility and education
 Margaret Thatcher.
 Discovered Power at Oxford,
 but once Prime Minister, forced universities to
turn towards private funding
 As Education Minister, known as the milk
snatcher
 As Prime Minister, took elocution lessons so
that her accent would not betray her humble
origins.

24. …
 Learning is not a right or a duty but a privilege
that has to be bought with hard cash, because
learning can mean power
 The state will do the minimum to provide
education for those who cannot afford to pay
for it.
 No matter how high one rises in society thanks
to education, one will never leave behind
one’s class.