ERIC Number: EJ1133308
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Mar
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1746-1979
EISSN: N/A
The Experience of 50 Years of Comprehensive Schooling in Scotland
Howieson, Cathy; Croxford, Linda; Murphy, Daniel
Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, v12 n1 p8-23 Mar 2017
The year 2015 was the 50th anniversary of the introduction of comprehensive schooling in Scotland. This article outlines the two models of comprehensive schooling pursued over this period: the first which aimed to promote a universal, common system, and the second, from around 2000, which has prioritised diversity and choice. Equality (in its various forms) is one of the underpinning principles of comprehensive schooling, and the article considers the impact of comprehensive reform on inequalities, in particular, in respect of social class. It concludes that Scotland has been largely successful in achieving equality of opportunity, has made some progress towards equality of value but equality of outcome has proved elusive. The article highlights the continuing impact of the wider social determinants of inequality and of the selective function of education. It raises concerns that recent reforms, in particular, the Senior Phase of Curriculum for Excellence, may be exacerbating social inequalities in outcomes.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Equal Education, Social Class, Educational Development, Educational Principles, School Desegregation, Diversity (Institutional), Curriculum Development, Educational Administration, Educational Change
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (Scotland)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A