In this article the author revisits an important book: Brian Simon's "Bending the Rules: the Baker reform of education." Written by a key figure in the history of the journal FORUM as well as in the history of education, Simon's book documented the features of the Education Reform Bill of 1987 (the precursor to the Education Reform Act…

In terms of reform of domestic policy, the Conservative election campaign of 2010 was predicated on the idea of citizen (or consumer) power and a reduction in the role of the government in decisions effecting people's lives. The Academies Act appears to be taking this idea in the opposite direction. In comparing and contrasting the provisions of…

Education for Global Citizenship (E4GC) offers many opportunities to explore spirituality and a sense of how one fits into the world at a range of levels. Beyond the Curriculum Boundaries is a project that enables student teachers to consider E4GC alongside issues of multiculturalism, antiracism and democracy education, with a strong focus on…

Introduces a symposium on British school reform under the 1988 Education Reform Act. In England and the United States, school reform is driven by "conservative restoration" forces that emerged in Western democracies about 15 years ago. English reforms embody a relentless program of government initiatives inspired by free-market doctrines…

Amid the horrors of the Second World War, a group of Board of Education officials met to plan a new public education system which would be fair to and free for all. In the seventy years since then, successive governments have not only failed to live up to their vision but have increasingly sought to interfere with the teaching and learning process…