ABSTRACT
The notion of the ‘tightening bond’ was coined by Marshall (1963, pp. 111–15) to designate the theory that individual occupational success has been increasingly determined in the course of this century by educational attainment and especially by certificates. Marshall was concerned with the educational implications of the tightening bond; it limited the possibility of ‘mould[ing] the educational plan to the shape demanded by individual needs, regardless of other considerations…. Unless great changes take place, it seems likely that the educational plan will be adjusted to occupational demand’ (p. 112).
