The momentous Education Act of 1944 meant that all children up until the age of 15 would be entitled to free schooling, and with this came the introduction of a tripartite system of grammar, secondary modern and technical schools. All children had to take an ‘11+’ exam, so-called because of the age at which it was taken: those who passed the exam would go to their local grammar school, whilst those who didn’t would go to the alternative secondary modern or technical school. In the 1960s and ’70s, this system began to be phased out in favor of the introduction of comprehensive schools, which were designed to offer a much more universal education, and many Local Education Authorities shut down their grammar schools or they went private.
This story is from the September 2019 edition of Berkshire Life.
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This story is from the September 2019 edition of Berkshire Life.
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