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Analysis: A Subversive History of School Reform

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Playground Puzzles: Have School Reforms Changed Anything?

18/07/2016

A Subversive History of School Reform

BBC Radio 4 - Analysis, A Subversive History of School Reform

Professor Alison Wolf on the surprising story of postwar school reform in England.

Conventional wisdom is that education faces endless reforms and promises of 'revolution'. Professor Alison Wolf asks if this a story of change or really one of continuity.

Change, change, change - conventional wisdom is that the classroom is the site of an endless set of reforms, a constant stream of White Papers and directives that promise 'revolution' and sudden changes in direction. Yet is the real story of school reform really one of continuity? 
Professor Alison Wolf of King's College London explores the post-war history of school reform in England. Speaking to former secretaries of state, historians, and teachers, she explores the forces and events that have shaped schools. She argues that real changes have been surprisingly few and that despite a great deal of fiery rhetoric, they have generally continued across party lines. And she asks if that means that governments have perhaps been listening to what parents genuinely want?
Producer: Gemma Newby.

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