ABSTRACT
In this article I want to examine the relationship between education reform policy and primary teachers’ work, exploring some of the dilemmas for teachers arising from the relationship. I want, in particular, to look at the dilemmas associated with the culture of primary schools, and then I would like to conclude by raising some questions about how far that culture has become anachronistic. Before doing that, however, I would want to make three introductory points about the recent politics of educational reform.
