ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the politics of the reform, but it is so intricate that there is space only for England. The closing years of the war were a forcing ground for seeds of reform in health, welfare and education that were sown earlier in the century. The main target was the 'all-age' school, governed by the Elementary Code, quite separate from the selective 'secondary' schools, and covering the ages of five to fourteen. The main problem facing Butler, the architect of the Education Act of 1944, was to reconcile the religious denominations to losing control over many schools to local Education Authorities (LEAs). The 'Mason-Plan' envisaged a step by step reorganization of the secondary schools using the existing buildings for the most part and preserving the main educational characteristics of each. Comprehensive reform became an established part of the official policy of the Parliamentary Labour Party in 'Signposts for the Sixties', where it was one of five major themes.
