Dispelling the myths: An investigation into the claims that Prime Minister James Callaghan’s Ruskin College speech was an epoch marking development in secondary education in general and for pre-vocational education in particular. by KEVIN JOHN JERVIS A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Education. The University of Birmingham. Dec 2010. University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT The origins and developments of pre-vocational education are traditionally traced back to Prime Minister James Callaghan’s speech on 18th October 1976 at Ruskin College, near Oxford. An assertion of this study is that this is a fallacy, with evidence of the existence of pre-vocational education dating back many years before this date. Further it is contended that Callaghan’s speech was not the catalyst for change in aspects of secondary education that many have suggested. The speech was neither a deliberate attempt by Callaghan to challenge the accepted modus operandi of the educational establishment nor an effort to raise standards. On the contrary, this study will argue that Callaghan’s intervention in education was a conscious attempt to distract the attention of commentators away from the worsening social and economic conditions within the U.K, which Callaghan had inherited from Harold Wilson. The above will be argued primarily through placing the emphasis on an aspect of secondary education which has attracted very few words of analysis or explanation namely, pre-vocational education. A definition of pre-vocational education will be constructed in order to help raise the status of pre-vocational education by means of establishing a greater understanding and awareness. The emphasis on PVE will also allow for a direct comparison to be made between the content of Callaghan’s words of 18th October 1976 with the content of the Tomlinson Report published on 18th October 2004 helping to establish that Callaghan was neither a catalyst for change or making particularly original claims. The study will use the resources of the City of Birmingham as well as the local and national press to help substantiate many of the assertions, thus mimicking a practice used by the authoritative education historian Professor Roy Lowe (1988). DEDICATION To Josh and Harry, I hope you will understand one day. To Sue, Kim and Ma, a very special thanks. Love. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A special thank you to Professor Ian Grosvenor for his patience and in memory of Mr. John Edge. CONTENTS Glossary. i Time Line. v CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION. 1.1 Ruskin College to the Tomlinson Report. 1 1.2 The beginning of an era or the start of a myth? 4 1.3 Callaghan’s official papers. 6 1.4 Clarifying the different interpretations of the concept of education. 10 1.5 Literature review. 15 1.6 Justification for the methodology. 26 1.7 Why is the subject matter of such personal interest? 31 1.8 Creating a definition of PVE. 33 CHAPTER 2. LOCATING THE RUSKIN SPEECH. 2.1 PVE, educational issues and the Ruskin speech. 63 2.2 Consideration of the Ruskin speech. 69 2.3 What is the evidence of the existence of PVE and of the concern for educational issues prior to the Ruskin speech? 83 CHAPTER 3.THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM AND THE EDUCATIONAL ISSUES. 3.1 The recurring concerns and the City of Birmingham. 99 3.2 The public concern and disquiet about education. 99 3.3 Education for all. 102 3.4 Purpose of education. 105 3.5 The relationship between schools and industry. 106 3.6 The curriculum and teacher training. 127 3.7 The role of the school inspector. 149 3.8 Examinations and regard to the lower ability students. 160 3.9 The perceived link between declining educational standards and the economy. 167 CHAPTER 4. TOMLINSON AND THE RUSKIN SPEECH. 4.1 The Tomlinson Report. 175 4.2 What did Tomlinson say? 176 4.3 The end of an era or the continuation of a myth? 195 CHAPTER 5 THE CONTEMPORARY SITUATION. 5.1 How is PVE viewed today? 205 5.2 Callaghan to Tomlinson: An overview of developments within PVE 1976 – 2004. 205 5.3 Comparison Methodology. 207 5.4 School Questionnaire Responses. 210 5.5 Industry Questionnaire Responses. 219 CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION. 6.1 Conclusion. 228 6.2 Possible topics for future research. 228 6.3 What is the future of PVE? 232 6.4 Addressing the objectives. 237 6.5 Significant contributions made by this study to the Great Debate. 239 APPENDICES, BIBLIOGRAPHY FIGURES NUMBER PAGE 1 5 “What does the Ruskin speech mean to you? 2 27 Thesis objectives. 3 36 English National Framework for Recognising Achievement. 4 44 Generic Skills & Skills Shortages. 5 46 Holland Report. (1977) 6 48 Comparison between Holland Report/Hayward & Fernandez. 7 50 Recurring educational issues. 7b 50 Development of Fig 7. 8 65 The Ruskin Speech, 18/10/1976. 8b 68 & 99 Educational Issues raised in Fig.8. 9 84 Archive referencing. 10 94 Report of the Secondary Schools Sub-Committee, 1977. 11 105 Farm St. School booking request. 12 110 Youth Unemployment Figures for Eastleigh, 1976. 13 112 Advertisement for Evening Classes. 14 115 Letter from Board of Education to BSB. 15 117 Attendance at Day-Continuation Schools, 1909. 16 119 Industrial Links programme, 1981. 16b 120 West Midlands Industry/Schools links scheme. 17 123 Education Committee Draft Report. 18 125 Gleeson & Keep, 2004. 19 130 Local newspaper headlines & school teachers. 20 131 Teacher vacancy advertisement. 21 133 Evening Classes, Moseley School of Art, 1916/17. 22 136 National Evening School attendance figures, 1901. 23 138 Birmingham School Board candidates, 1897. 24 139 School Management Committee members. 25 141 Social Education syllabus, 1976. 26 142 Birmingham Education Committee questionnaire. 27 147 Education & Industry courses, 1980. 28 148 Timetable comparisons, 1904 & 1988. 29 162 RoA, 1980. 30 176 Tomlinson Committee members, 2004. 31 177 Tomlinson Report, 2004. 31b 178 Letter of Recommendation. 32 185 Comparison Tomlinson & Holland Reports (I) 33 186 ‘’ (II) 34 188 Definition of PVE. 35 189 Definition of PVE & significant reports. 36 208 Jervis, 1997. 37 211 School questionnaire responses (I) 38 212 (II) 39 214 University entry requirements, 40 217 European Vocational statistics, 2007. 41 218 School questionnaire responses (III) 42 220 Largest Birmingham companies, 1997. 43 221 Industry questionnaire responses. (1) 44 222 (II) 45 223 (III) 46 225 (IV) 47 226 (V) ABBREVIATIONS ABC “A Basis for Choice.” (Mansell Report, 1979.) A Level Advanced Level. ATL Association of Teachers & Lecturers. BSB Birmingham School Board. BTEC Business & Technician Education Council. CBI Confederation of British Industry. CEO Chief Education Officer. CGLI City & Guilds of London Institute. CKSA Common Knowledge Skills and Attitude. CPVE Certificate in Pre-vocational Education. CSE Certificate of Secondary Education. Dep. Ed. Department of Education. DES Department Education & Science. DfES Department for Education & Science. DG Director General. DHSS Department for Health and Social Security. DoVE Diploma of Vocational Education. EDUCA Digest for Vocational Education & Training. E.I.T.B. Engineering Industrial Training Board. ERA Education Reform Act, 1988. F.E. Further Education. FEU Further Education Unit. FGPC Finances & General Purposes Committee. (City of Birmingham) G.C.E. General Certificate in Education, (“O” levels) G.C.S.E General Certificate in Secondary Education. G.N.V.Q. General National Vocational Qualification. H.E. Higher Education. HMI Her Majesty’s Inspector HMSO Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. ICT Information & Communication Technology. IMF International Monetary Fund. JCP Job Creation Programme. K.S. Key Stage. LEA Local Education Authority. MHET Manual and Hand & Eye Training. M.P. Member of Parliament. MSC Manpower Services Commission. NAHT National Association of Head Teachers. NASUWT National Association of School Masters & Union of Women Teachers. NCC National Curriculum Council. NRA National Record of Achievement. NUS National Union of Students. NUT National Union of Teachers. NVQ National Vocational Qualification. OECD Organisation of Economic Cooperation & Development. Ofsted Office of Standards in Education. O Level Ordinary Level. ONC Ordinary National Certificate. OND Ordinary National Diploma. PAT Professional Association of teachers. P.E. Physical Education. PFI Private Finance Initiative P.M. Prime Minister. PMQ Prime Minister’s Questions. PRO Public Records Office. PSE Personal and Social Education. PSME Personal, Social and Moral Education. PVE Pre-vocational Education. QCA Qualifications & Curriculum Authority. RE Religious Education. RoA Record of Achievement. ROSLA Raising of School Leaving Age. SAT Standardised Assessment Tests. SCoRE Standing Conference on Religious Education. SEN Special Educational Needs. SHA Secondary Heads Association. STS Secondary Technical Schools. T.E.S Times Educational Supplement. TLS Times Literary Supplement. TUC Trades Union Congress TVEI Technical & Vocational Education Initiative. UBI Understanding British Industry. UVP Unified Vocational Preparation. GLOSSARY “A Basis for Choice.” (ABC) Sometimes called the “Mansell Report.” Published by the FEU in 1979. The Report was concerned with young people entering full time Further Education. It initiated the introduction of the CPVE. Further reading – FEU: 1982. “Better Schools.” A DES consultative document which used the expression “pre- vocational education.” It considered that there should not be further central intervention in the development of the curriculum. The policy was reversed after Sir Keith Joseph was replaced by Kenneth Baker at the DES.