New Trend in English Secondary Education

Author: Chen-tsou Wu

Abstract：

The concept of secondary education for all began to flourish in Eng-land in the latter part of the nineteenth century, Such a concept, from the viewpoint of equality of opportunity, has ever since committed itself as a challenge to the country as a whole, confronting a threefold con-flict, i. e. democracy vs. aristocracy, social unity vs. class-distinction, and integration vs. segregation.
However, it was not until the passage of the Educational Bill of 1944 that any essential progrss has been achieved in this respect. Only since then has the goal of secondary education for all become a real part of the official policy of England.
Even though it has been the declared objective of English government to end selection at 11 + , to eliminate separatism in secondary education and to provide secondary education for all children on comprehensive lines, the tripartite system which necessitates the 11+ allocation and the independent schools which are considered to be the remnants of the dual systemare still prevailing.
The defects of the present provision of secondary education are num-erous. The worst one is that it causes unequal opportunity in education. In addition, the effects of 11+ allocation are very harmful.
The concept of secondary education for all necessitates the installation of comprehensive education. Seldom has any single feature in the his-tory of English education other than the comprehensive school been the cause of so much controversy. The relative advantages and disadvantages of the conpreheasive schoal have been discussed and examined repeatedly and reviewed in different parts of England. Comparatively, the advan tages of the comprehensive school are exceeded in number over the disadvantages. Moieover, the difficulties caused by such disadvantages can be, to some extent, overcome. It appears to be that English comprehensive schools have succeeded in providing for all the children the education appropriate to their respective ages, abilities and aptitudes. But comprehenvsie schools should not content themselves with what they have achieved; their future, though largely bright, is still waiting for them to prove not to claim.

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