Geographical education and ideology in England and Wales

Conclusion If ideology is a nexus of ideas which represent the values of a society and the way that society operates, then clearly such ideas, in so far as they are held by those who have power in society, are bound to affect what is taught within the system of education. This may not be openly avowed, though in totalitarian regimes the education system is determinedly used to enforce the only ideology—that of those in power. The saving grace in a democratic system is that those being educated have access ideologies other than the dominant one. In England and Wales and to some extent elsewhere in the United Kingdom, there is little doubt that the geography curriculum has tended to serve the dominant ideology during the heyday of the British Empire and even during its period of decline in the 1930s and 1940s. In the 1960s and 1970s, an alternative ideology stressing the rights of the underprivileged became manifest in a geography curriculum that was not controlled centrally. The 1980s saw a reversal of this trend by those who had political power, though the reason advanced for the greater control of the curriculum was couched in terms of the economic needs of the nation and the desire to raise standards. But clearly those in power considered that theraison d'être of education was to promote an enterprise culture. However, in practice no ideology is ever pure. When the enterprise culture came into contact with long-cherished ideas of national sovereignty, marrying the two proved difficult. This was reflected in the neutral (not to say negative) position of the national curriculum in geography with respect to the European Union. Original language: English Norman Graves (United Kingdom) Professor Emeritus of Geography Education at the University of London Institute of Education. He is consultant to UNESCO in association with the International Geographical Union. Author of numerous works on geography education, he is involved in curriculum and textbook planning and is an acknowledged expert in his field of research.     

The female secondary headteacher in England and Wales: leadership and management styles

This paper reports on data relating to management and leadership derived from a survey of all the female headteachers in England and Wales. The quantitative data presented here are complementary to previous research on gender in education which has tended to be qualitative. The use of the Gray paradigms in the research instrument has allowed an empirical redefinition of the 'feminine' style of management, but the research confirms that the majority of the female heads use a collaborative and 'people-oriented' style of management. In addition, the key values promoted by the headteachers are related to achievement and respect for all.The headteachers generally make themselves available to staff and spend a considerable proportion of their time in school outside their office. They tend to encourage staff development, often through individual consultation, but only a minority make special provision for the development of female teachers. Male resentment of female leadershipwas found to be relatively prevalent and the majority of the women felt they had to 'prove their worth' as a woman manager. Despite the difficulties encountered, once the women had achieved headship, they were aware that there were advantages in being a woman headteacher. They reported the ability to defuse 'macho' behaviour, the benefits of being unusual and therefore singled out and the fact that girls, mothers and female teachers found them approachable. The relative disproportion of female secondary headteachers raises issues of equity. However, in view of the effective management style of the majority, the question is also raised of the potential loss of leadership to our schools.     

Citizenship education in England and Wales: theoretical critique and practical considerations

This paper presents a theoretical critique of citizenship education in England and Wales, as a means of raising pedagogical considerations for teachers, and policy issues for curriculum makers and planners. Drawing on a range of recent empirical studies, we construct an analysis of practice and suggest that differences between dominant models of citizenship in England and Wales owe much to their histories. We suggest that such differences create opportunities for new curriculum‐making practices as well as democratic possibilities in the context of citizenship education, at a time when curricula in both England and Wales are under revision. Considering school councils/forums as an exemplar of practice common to both contexts, we question the wisdom of schools employing a narrow conception of active citizenship, via forums, in order to demonstrate they are satisfying the relevant requirements of the Order for Citizenship in England, and aspects of the Personal and Social Education curriculum in Wales. While the exemplars are both from the UK context the arguments apply beyond these borders and to more general concerns regarding the development of global citizenship.     

Recent integrative trends in further education in England and Wales

This paper gives a survey of the development and current trends in the area of further education in England and Wales. It describes the wide range of functions further education has in the entire post-compulsory education sector. On the basis of statistical data, special emphasis is given to its tasks concerning some crucial areas, such as further education of juvenile unemployed and of the handicapped, education of adult immigrants and community education. The role of further education as a critical corrective for traditional university education is also stressed. In the internal system of further education, its integrative aspects are demonstrated by the examples of commercial training in trade and industry. The changes and extensions of the competent management bodies of the various parts of this sector are clearly discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die Entwicklung und die weiteren Tendenzen im Bereich der Further Education in England und Wales. Ausgangspunkt is die sehr weitreichende Funktion der F-E (= Further Education) für den gesamten Bildungssektor nach Ende der Schulpflicht im Alter von 16 Jahren. Unter Einschluss von statistischen Daten werden besonders die Aufgaben der F-E für besondere pädagogische Brennpunkte wie z.B. der Weiterbildung jugendlicher Arbeitsloser, Behinderter, der Bildung der neuingewanderten Erwachsenen und der community education dargestellt. Die Rolle der F-E als kritischem Korrektiv zur traditionellen Universitätsausbildung erfährt eine besondere Würdigung. Im internen Ausbildungswesen der F-E werden die integrativen Aspekte an den Beispielen der kaufmännischen Ausbildung für Handel und Industrie hervorgehoben. Deutlich sichtbar werden für den Leser die Wechsel und Ergänzungen in den zuständigen Leitungsgremien der einzelnen Bereiche dieses Sektors.

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Résumé Cet article donne un aperçu du développement et des courants actuels dans le domaine de l'éducation post-scolaire en Angleterre et dans le Pays de Galles. Il décrit le large éventail des fonctions que l'éducation post-scolaire offre après les années d'enseignement obligatoire. Les statistiques montrent l'importance accordée à certains départements délicats tels que l'éducation post-scolaire des jeunes chômeurs, des handicapés, des immigrants adultes et de la communauté. L'auteur souligne aussi le rôle de correctif rigoureux joué par l'éducation post-scolaire dans l'éducation universitaire traditionnelle. Les aspects complémentaires du système intérieur de l'éducation post-scolaire sont illustrés par les exemples de la formation commerciale dans l'industrie et le négoce. La diversité, la concaténation et l'extension des tâches qui se proposent à la compétence des responsables de ce secteur particulier sont clairement expliquées.

     

An alternative reading of modern religious education in England and Wales

This paper challenges the overly positive image of the contribution made by religious education in England and Wales to the attainment of liberal educational aims that was recently presented in this journal, in the context of a review symposium on a festschrift celebrating the work and achievements of the influential British religious educator, Professor John Hull. An alternative reading is pursued that provides a more accurate and fair interpretation of the evidence. There is a discussion of the ideological character of British religious education and a consideration of the reasons why assertions of its ‘success’ by religious educators are currently so vocal. Critical attention is focused on two particular issues over which the influence of Hull on contemporary policy and practice is acknowledged: that of his dismissal of the accusation that multi‐faith religious education confuses pupils, and that of current strategies in religious education to promote inter‐religious and intercultural understanding.     

The communities providing religious education and catechesis to Polish immigrants in England and Wales

Since Poland’s accession to the European Union in 2004, hundreds of thousands of Polish citizens have arrived in the UK in search of work, of which the majority landed in England and Wales. This process, although not as fast now, is still ongoing. The majority of immigrants from Poland are young people who start families and have children. Many of these children are born in the UK. For this reason, it is increasingly common for the children of Polish immigrants to be covered by the local school system. In addition to general knowledge, they also have the right to religious education and catechesis. This article presents a summary of the communities providing religious education and catechesis to Polish migrants living in England and Wales. It describes the specific features of religious education in state-run schools, Catholic schools and Polish Saturday Schools. The objectives of parish catechesis conducted by the Polish Catholic missions operating in England and Wales are also outlined. The primary objective of this discussion is to present the various options for religious education and catechesis for the children of Polish immigrants living in England and Wales.     

The supply of mathematics teachers in England and Wales

This paper reports the findings of an ethnographic study of student teaching experiences in a preparation program that emphasizes field‐based practicums. It explores what students do in these practicum sites; what forces influence their behavior, ideas, and/or attitudes; and the different ways students respond to the constraints found in their field placements. Finally, it discusses the implications of the study's findings towards the theoretical constructs of reproduction and resistance as they apply to the professional socialization of future teachers.     

The New Quality Assurance Arrangements in England and Wales

A new national quality assurance agency is about to commence operations. This article looks at the background to the new agency and at its immediate agenda, in which the recommendations of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education ('The Dearing Committee' are likely to bulk large. The article suggests a number of issues which the new agency will need to resolve if it is to prove more durable than its predecessors, the Higher Education Quality Council and the Quality Assessment Divisions of the English and Welsh Higher Education Funding Councils.     

Teacher Education in England and Wales

Teacher Education in England and Wales (Studies in Education, No. 8) GEOFFREY PARTINGTON, 1999 London: Institute of Education, University of London. 163 pp., ISBN 0 225 36476 8, £12     

Social class and participation in further education: evidence from the Youth Cohort Study of England and Wales

This paper examines the class distribution of young people, aged 16–17 years, in colleges of further education (FE) using data from the Youth Cohort Study. It finds that, contrary to popular perceptions of FE colleges as being for ‘other people’s children’, middle‐class students as well as working‐class students are well represented. However, this does not imply that FE colleges are institutions of choice; middle‐class representation is often related to lower achievement and, for low‐achieving working‐class students, leaving education entirely is more likely than entry to FE. These findings are explored using notions of habitus and field. Their relationship with studies of the education of middle‐class children is also discussed, and the paper suggests that research on class in FE colleges must come to terms with middle‐class presence.     

The Teenage Religion and Values Survey in England and Wales: an overview

The Teenage Religion and Values Survey was conducted throughout the 1990s among young people between the ages of 13 and 15 years. A total of 33,982 young people took part in the survey. As the next phase of this research begins for the twenty‐first century, this paper looks back at the survey conducted in the 1990s and considers two aspects of the research. First, this paper considers the methodology behind designing such a survey. Second, this paper considers some of the insights generated by the survey under five headings: personality, spiritual health, religious affiliation, belonging without believing and church‐leaving.