Elementary education, society & politics in Hertfordshire, 1918-1939
This thesis explores the elementary education policies of Hertfordshire county council during twenty-one years of unprecedented local change. It examines the influence of major local pressure groups, and it places county educational affairs in the wider context of wildly fluctuating national economic and political fortunes. It contends that against this uncertain background the apparently disparate developments in Hertfordshire were actually the results of coherent LEA policies which fulfilled a range of local needs. The LEA pursued a consistent policy of vocationally-biased rural education. Far from being associated with parsimony and poor standards, this policy brought the county national fame as an educational pioneer. Vocationalism also increasingly dominated urban elementary schools. Here, too, it stemmed from a social class perspective of education which considered a particular range of manual, technical and commercial occupations the natural climax of elementary schooling. These developments served to strengthen the desire, and the opportunity, to maintain the marked distinctions between the elementary and secondary spheres. The LEA's success owed much to its skilful accommodation to, and sometimes
Parker, David Hugh
History
Elementary education, society & politics in Hertfordshire, 1918-1939. This thesis explores the elementary education policies of Hertfordshire county council during twenty-one years of unprecedented local change. It examines the influence of major local pressure groups, and it places county educational affairs in the wider context of wildly fluctuating national economic and political fortunes. It contends that against this uncertain background the apparently disparate developments in Hertfordshire were actually the results of coherent LEA policies which fulfilled a range of local needs. The LEA pursued a consistent policy of vocationally-biased rural education. Far from being associated with parsimony and poor standards, this policy brought the county national fame as an educational pioneer. Vocationalism also increasingly dominated urban elementary schools. Here, too, it stemmed from a social class perspective of education which considered a particular range of manual, technical and commercial occupations the natural climax of elementary schooling. These developments served to strengthen the desire, and the opportunity, to maintain the marked distinctions between the elementary and secondary spheres. The LEA's success owed much to its skilful accommodation to, and sometimes
elementary_education society_politics hertfordshire explores elementary_education policy hertfordshire county council unprecedented local change examines influence major local pressure_group place county educational affair wider_context fluctuate national_economic political fortune contend uncertain background apparently disparate development hertfordshire actually coherent policy fulfil range local need pursue consistent policy rural education far associate parsimony poor standard policy bring county national fame educational pioneer also increasingly dominated urban elementary_school stem social_class perspective education consider particular range manual technical commercial occupation natural climax elementary schooling development serve strengthen desire opportunity maintain marked distinction elementary secondary sphere success owe much accommodation sometimes