British Education in a post-welfare Society: The development of equal opportunities in British education 1944-1993

This thesis examines the development ofBritish education in a post welfare society and the way it has been affected by the changing of governments. The governments’ different attitude towards education has been a great obstacle in the improvement of education between 1944- 1993.1 am aiming to prove that Conservative government policy was less egalitarian in the post-war period than the Labour government, therefore less beneficial in a democratic society. In order to prove my statement, I will look into contemporary Education Acts made by the Labour and the Conservative Governments and the effects ofthose on education. I will also introduce the Labour and Conservative theories on how education should work in Britain. Having provided the facts of the period, it will show how the two political parties worked against each other and became an obstacle for the development ofeducation in Britain.