Argues that the Plowden Report underrated the seriousness of race and cultural issues in the inner city and took inadequate account of differences in experiences and backgrounds of the children and their families. Analyzes the shortcomings of the types of programs developed during the 1970s and offers suggestions for future improvement.…

Discusses the historical development and the current roles of the British Local Education Authority (LEA) inspectors. Two kinds of LEA inspectors are identified: the general educational facilitator and the educational specialist. The problems inspectors face in defining their roles within modern British schools are discussed. (AM)