Previous edition: 2009.

1 Why Education Matters; The threat of mass education; What is the purpose of education?; A utilitarian perspective; The social function of schooling; Social reconstructionism: an ideology for the future?; 2 The Rise and Fall of the Post-War Consensus; The 1944 Education Act; A national system, locally administered; Flaws in the 'tripartite' system; Circular 10/65; The end of consensus; 3 From Callaghan to Major, 1976-97; Accountability and control under James Callaghan. The first two Thatcher administrations, 1979-87The 1988 Education Reform Act; Choice and diversity under John Major; 4 Diversity, Choice and the Measurement of Progress, 1997-2012; Aspects of continuity; The 1997 White Paper; Selection, specialization and diversity; The 2001 Green Paper; The 2001 White Paper and the 2002 Education Act; Difficulties facing the Education Secretary; A renewed commitment to choice and diversity; The administration of Gordon Brown; The 2010 General Election and the Coalition Agreement; The development of Conservative education policy after 2007. Coalition education policy since 20105 The Privatization of Education; Privatization in the 1980s; Private Finance Initiative; Other privatizing initiatives in the 1990s; The introduction of the Academies programme; Capita and ETS; The expansion of the Academies programme since 2010; 6 The Changing Worlds of Education Policy; The post-war tripartite partnership; The origins of the 1988 Education Act; The role of advisers under New Labour; Policy-making in Scotland; Recent developments in Wales; 7 The Evolving Curriculum from 5 to 14; Teacher 'control' of the curriculum. rom partnership to accountabilityTowards central control of the curriculum; The National Curriculum and its aftermath; Curriculum developments 1997 to 2007; 8 The 14-19 Continuum: Issues and Policies for Education and Training; Before the raising of the school-leaving age; A 14-19 continuum; The 2002 Green Paper; Initial reactions to the 2002 Green Paper; The 14-19 discussion document, 2003; The Tomlinson Report; Examination reform under the Coalition Government; 9 Higher Education; The need for expansion in the 1950s and 1960s; Developments under the Thatcher and Major administrations. Problems of access and inequalityHigher education under New Labour; The 2003 White Paper and the 2004 Higher Education Act; Questions of access; Tuition fees and their effect on university applications; 10 Early Years and Childcare Strategies, and the Concept of Lifelong Learning; Pre-school education in Britain; New Labour's early years and childcare strategy; The pre-school curriculum; The Coalition Government's nursery reforms; Lifelong learning; Differing views of a learning society; 11 Issues of Diversity, Equality and Citizenship; Historical background to the citizenship debate; the Crick report; the need to combat prejudice; issues of gender and educational achievement; segregation versus integration; conclusion; 12 Conclusion: Change and continuity since 1997; Social inequality and social mobility.