ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses specifically on the issue of elitism and examines the potential for equal opportunities within secondary physical education (PE) after the Education Reform Act (ERA) 1988. It considers the impact of selected policy recommendations of the ERA 1988, namely, Local Management of Schools (LMS), open enrolment, opting out and the National Curriculum, and draws out their implications for teaching and learning in PE. The ERA 1988 has the apparently egalitarian objective of providing an entitlement curriculum and equality of access to educational opportunities. The chapter challenges the view conveyed through the official literature of the Department of Education and Science (DES) and the National Curriculum Council (NCC) that the ERA 1988 will, in itself, bring about greater equality of opportunity and that 'all pupils, regardless of sex, ethnic origin and geographical location, have access to broadly the same good and relevant curriculum'.
