Sociology_Education_Divides

Sociology Assignment Identify the social class differences in educational outcomes. Assess the sociological explanantions that account for these differences. In this assignment I will give a brief history of the purposes of education and how it has evolved over the years. I will be researching and critiquing different educational achievements amongst different social groups, and look at how relationships can impact your education, as well as other outside factors. In 1870 saw the passing of the education act, its purpose was to provide a basic education which was accessable to all children from the ages of 5 – 10 years. Proir to this act being introduced it was only a small minority of children who received a formal education. Public schools and grammer schools educated the children from rich and powerful families, whilst church parishes and charity schools provided a basic level of education for a very small minority of the lower class, therefore resulting in most people not receiving any formal education. In 1880 elementary education to the age of 10 was made compulsory and rose to the age of 12 by 1889 and to the age of 14 after the first world war. During this time there were 3 types of schooling available to children which was dependant on their class background. Elementary schools were for the working class children, grammer schools were suited to the middle class children whilst public schools were attended by the upper class. H G Wells described the education act as an act to educate the lower class for employment on lower class lines and with specially trained inferior teachers. In 1944 saw the reform of the education act, with its main aim being to give every pupiol an equal chance to develop his or her own talents and abilities to the full within a free system of state education. This saw the structure of the education system being reorganized into 3 stages, primary schools for children upto the age of 11, secondary schools from the age of 11 to 16 and further education was to provide education beyond school leaving age. With these changings in place saw the arrival of the tripartite system for secondary education and would provide equal education opportunities for all children as it was suggested that there were different types of pupils who posed different types of aptitudes and abilities. The 11 plus intelligence test was introduced and provided a means of allocating children to the correct types of secondary school that would best suit there academic needs. There were 3 types of schools that children could attend, grammer schools were for the bright and intelligent children with less than 20% of the school population attending this type of school, technical schools were suited to children who had high aptitude for technical subjects and were only attended by 5% of the school population, the remainder of the children attended the secondary modern schools which were seen to have less academic skills but were more practical only providing basic academic education. Whilst the tripartite system was to provide children with an equal chance of education this was not to be as the system created more social devisions. Working class children were consigned to secondary modern schools which were seen as second rate this providing unequal life chances which were reinforced by unequal education. As a result of this comprehensive schooling was introduce with a basis of one type of school for everyone. Taylor (2000) When looking at different educationcal achievements of social groups there are many factors that can impact this. Esearch has showed that the higher the social class you belong to the higher the levels of education success you will achieve. Childrens whos parents are from social higher classes are more likely to stay on in education and achieve higher examination passes than those of children from the lower class. This can be proven in the Halsey, Heath and Ridge research that they conducted into inequality in education. The research used 3 different class types based on the fathers occupation. The service class was the professional, the intermediate class were the clerical, lower grade technicians and the working class which included the manual workers. They found that when comparing a boy from the service class to a boy from the working class, the service class boy was four times more likely to be at school at the age of 16 and was 11 times more likely to attend university. Hraalambos (2000) Class differences still remain within the educational system even since the reforms from the tripartite system Heath 1987 stated that ‘’ in the face of this remarkable resilience of class inequalities, educational reforms seem powerless’’.