ABSTRACT

Sally Tomlinson has drawn attention to the cultural factors operating on the 14-19 curriculum between the general elections of 1979 and 1997: Until the 1970s, even into the 1980s, the division between those who were academically successful and moved into higher education and professional jobs, and those who entered vocational training or unskilled employment at 16, still made economic sense. Other schools structured their curriculum so that all pupils of this age studied integrated science, integrated humanities and an expressive arts course, but breadth and balance in the curriculum were in short supply for most young people. The first General Certificate of Secondary Education courses began in September 1986 and the first examinations were held in 1988. The Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI) began in 1983 as a pilot in 14 Local Education Authorities and, during the next ten years, over £1 billion was invested in TVEI schemes.