Schooling in England. An Overview

Abstract

The structure of the English schooling system is quite rigid, with principles of the system and the ethos of performance-based testing as an evaluation of a child’s performance a mainstay for the past two hundred years. In terms of teacher-training, routes and opportunities into the profession are varied and, although pay is increasing, the status of teaching as a profession is not held in as high acclaim as it was in the previous century. The strengths of the English system are a free education for all until aged eighteen, with a standard National Curriculum to enable parity of learning across different communities and social economic statuses. Additionally, routes into education - or, rather, becoming a teacher - are varied, allowing for a multitude of individuals to work in the profession. However, a perhaps singular focus on high-stakes performance testing has led to several weaknesses of the system. It would be preferable if curricular design and the principles and practices of education were designed by an independent body of educators, rather than be at the whim of which political party was in power at the time. This would offer stability on policy and practices and would keep the pupils’ interests central in the decision-making process.