Contextual Preconditions of ‘Open Schooling’: the English case in historical and comparative perspectives

Abstract

It is sometimes claimed that primary education in England and Wales is uniquely open to ‘progressive’ techniques and innovations. Much of the writing about this relies heavily on the impact of ideas and strong personalities to effect and disseminate change. Drawing upon historical analyses of England and Wales and upon primary education in France, Germany and Scotland as counter examples, this article attempts to move away from this model of change to identify a range of contextual or structural features of the English and Welsh system which have facilitated the spread of progressive ideas and the influence of individual pioneers on the state sector of education. These include historical continuity, devolution of decision making to middle‐sized local units, substantial school autonomy, a high level of urbanisation, loose central control over curriculum and certain features of the structure of schooling.