Histories of Public and Private Education

Historical and Philosophical Perspectives Year 1 BA Education, Culture and Society

Take notes

Summarise the main pointsWrite down some key phrasesNote people’s questionsConsider leaving space for your own

comments afterwardsRead through the notes later today

Why ‘histories’?

Talk to your neighbour about what you know of the history of London

Whose history was it?

The history of private lives: a feminist background

Political context in England

Thatcher's privatised public services in the late 1970s and early 1980s

New Labour has continued this processIs the current situation regarding state-

funded education equitable? What are the options available?

Choice…housing…academies…faith schools…waiting lists…

More broadly, what is…

Public education?

Private education?

This topic is a chance to apply the theoretical questions we discussed over the last two weeks: what are the purposes of education, who controls the definition and purposes of education?

Is it clear what constitutes ‘public’ and private’ education?

What is 'formal' education

What is ‘domestic knowledge-making’?

Could these offer another version of ‘public’ and ‘private’ education?

Key themes in the public/private education debate the historical development of the educational

experiences of the upper middle and upper classes: the development of 'accepted' forms of gendered embodiment through prescriptive girls' and boys' curricula. What might these be?

the development of mass provision of education for working-class people. What might the purpose of this have been?

Difficulties in shifting the ongoing class divide embedded in the current framework of public and private education (Bourdieu (1977))

Education and knowledge from the private domain

Should sex education be delivered through state and public provision, private and domestic knowledge development, in terms of public and private moral and physical health, or through scientific and ethical education? What are some of the issues that this topic raises? Should these things be discussed in schools?

http://www.stonewall.org.uk/education_for_all/

Girls' education at home- a growing interest in social history and the sociology of domestic life (feminist historical approaches (Miller and Swift (1976)). This learning- usually with their mothers - is rich in opportunities to learn about and value learning and teaching strategies. What did you learn at home?

Family history: a text for use as a 'public' (academic, as opposed to 'lay', or domestic) resource. Compare this with the discussion we will have later in the seminars about choosing academic publications.

Two issues in public and private education

Remember: who defines ‘education’ and its purposes? Every Child Matters: ‘Stay Safe’; CRB checks crossing public/private lines.

How does this regulate who does the educating?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzzo-L0HWGw&feature=related WORLDwrite Newsreel: Who should we trust? (CRB checks and NGOs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIwMHw-0j5Y&feature=related Girls Education Project gets Nigerian girls back into school

education is a global commodity that crosses public, private and transnational boundaries (Aldrich (2004)). What are the purposes of NGO education? What could this change in a community?

Seminar

ALEC: choosing academic publications

Read a section of Williams, S (2004) ‘Domestic science: the education of girls at home’ in Aldrich, R (Ed) Public or private education: Lessons from history London: Woburn Press

Jigsaw feedback discussion

Chosen because: reviewed in the Journal of Gender and Education; edited by a known academic in the field; list of contributors includes information about their academic positions; is within five years of publication; offers references I can follow up;