ABSTRACT
In chapter 3 we examined aspects of the secular curriculum, including the introduction of a national curriculum, heralded by the government as a major force behind raising standards in education. It is, however, abundantly clear that these aspirations for raising standards, and indeed, even the capacity of LEAs, governors and headteachers to meet their legal obligations under the national curriculum provisions of the Education Reform Act 1988, may be seriously undermined by the impact of expenditure constraints on schools. It is quite possible to envisage schools being unable to meet their commitments to pupils of compulsory school age across the full range of core and other foundation subjects as a consequence of their being unable over a substantial period to fill teaching staff vacancies; or unable to afford the relevant text books or other equipment needed to meet the requirements of the prescribed programmes of study. It is quite possible that aggrieved parents will in time seek to activate the enforcement mechanism in section 23 of the Education Reform Act 1988 concerning the national curriculum, although the likelihood of subsequent intervention by the Secretary of State under section 68 or 99 of the 1944 Act in the context of shortcomings brought about by centrally imposed expenditure constraints is remote.
