Schools in Great Britain

Schools in Great Britain
By Sharon White

Before the 1960s there were two main kinds of state secondary schools in Britain: “grammar” and “secondary modern” schools. The grammar schools were for the most intelligent children and the secondary modern schools were for the less intelligent children. Many people felt that this system was unfair. During the 1960s and 1970s the government decided to join the grammar and secondary modern schools. The new schools were called “comprehensives”. More than eighty per cent of the state secondary schools in Britain are now comprehensive.

Everyone hoped that comprehensive schools would be the answer to the nation’s education problems. They hoped that children would do better if they chose from many different subjects. They believed that the not-s-clever would learn more when working with the clever. They thought that a more practical education would give the country better scientists and businessmen. But not everyone was pleased with the results. The new schools brought new problems. Some schools soon had a bad time.

By the beginning of the 1980s many comprehensive schools were doing better. Both students and teachers were used to the new system and were making it work.

As well as the state schools there are about 500 private schools in Britain. Most of these are boarding schools, were children actually live and study. Private schools are very expensive (up to 9000 a year). Some private schools give a very good academic education. Some do not. But nearly all private schools have good social status. The boys and girls who go to them make friends with children from families like their own, and later they often find it easier to find a job. Many people feel that this is wrong, but the private schools are still growing.