Course Objectives

The course gives the student an overview of the development of education policy in Britain, tracing the expansion of state education provision over the course of the 20th Century.

The course will be taught in a way that enables students to understand the complexities of the education debate in Britain today and in the past.

It encourages students to adopt an analytical and critical focus upon issues which are currently controversial, such as the relationship between the maintained and the private sectors, school performance, testing and the debate on standards, gender and ethic background in affecting educational outcomes and higher education, all isues which raise important political, social, moral and philosophical dilemmas.

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Course Comments

“The class was intellectually stimulating and interesting.” Anon., Fall 2009

"One of the best professors I've ever had - caring, intellectually stimulating, funny, overall great experience." - Ameilia Mcerowan, Summer 2007

"Professor Macnicol is one of the best professors I've had in college. He actually cares about his students and puts time and effort into lectures." - Betsy Stratis, Summer 2007

"I would strongly recommend this course to anyone interested in the British Education System. The field trip to visit a City Academy was quite helpful in understanding all that had been discussed in class." Olga Musatova, Spring 2006

Faculty Information

Professor John Macnicol is Visiting Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics. Recent book publications are: (editor) Paying for the Old: Old Age and Social Welfare Provision (Thoemmes Press, 7 volumes, 2000); The Politics of Retirement in Britain 1878-1948 (Cambridge University Press, second edition, 2002); Age Discrimination: an Historical and Contemporary Analysis (Cambridge University Press, 2006) (winner of the Social Policy Association's prize for ‘Best New Publication, 2006-7'). Recent articles include: 'Older Men and Work in the Twenty-First Century: What Can the History of Retirement Tell Us?', Journal of Social Policy, 37, 4, October 2008; 'Differential Treatment by Age: Age Discrimination or Age Affirmation?', in Robert B. Hudson (ed.), Boomer Bust? Economic and Political Issues in the Graying Society, Vol. I (Praeger, 2009); During 2009 he co-authored a report on inter-generational equity for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (A Think Piece on Intergenerational Equity (EHRC, 2009)). He has presented papers at numerous UK and international conferences, most recently at the XVII World Congress of Sociology, Gothenburg, Sweden, July 2010, and the ESPAnet Annual Conference, Budapest, Hungary, September 2010.

Course Syllabus and Materials

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