ABSTRACT
There exist a number of ideas about the organisational forms of post-sixteen education, all of which relate to two dominant, somewhat antithetical, patterns of ideas or ideologies. These ideologies are held by groups connected with these different forms of organisation, and are used to explain and justify their social actions which are in accordance with their patterns of ideas. The day-to-day experience of school or college serves to confirm the identities of those who control them. Both experience and identity are given meaning by the ideology that unites them. Each form of post-sixteen education has an associated ideology which is used to justify and defend it. In asserting the ideology of the all-through school these groups are defending the ideas they have about themselves. In the justification of their actions, educational interest groups characteristically claim that they not only serve group interests but also those of children.
