Education Reform Act 1988

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Education Reform Act 1988
United Kingdom Parliament
Long title:	An Act to amend the law relating to education.
Statute book chapter:	1988 c. 40
Introduced by:
Territorial extent:	Whole act England and Wales; ss. 131, 134, 202-205, 207, 214-216, 231, 232, 235-236 and 238 and Sch. 8 and 11 Scotland; ss. 208 and 217(1) Northern Ireland; amendments of legislation which extends to Scotland and Northern Ireland also extend there
Dates
Date of Royal Assent:	29 July 1988
Commencement:	Various dates from 29 July 1988 to 1 August 1992
Other legislation
Amendments:
Related legislation:
Status: Unknown
Acts of Parliament of predecessor states to the United Kingdom
Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of England to 1601 Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of England to 1706 Acts of the Parliament of Ireland to 1700 Acts of the Parliament of Ireland, 1701 to 1800 Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland
Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom
1707–1719 \| 1720–1739 \| 1740–1759 \| 1760–1779 1780–1800 \| 1801–1819 \| 1820–1839 \| 1840–1859 1860–1879 \| 1880–1899 \| 1900–1919 \| 1920–1939 1940–1959 \| 1960–1979 \| 1980–1999 \| 2000–Present
Acts of the Scottish Parliament
Acts of the Northern Ireland Parliament
Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Orders in Council for Northern Ireland
United Kingdom Statutory Instruments
Church of England Measures

The Education Reform Act of 1988 is widely regarded as the most important single piece of education legislation in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland since the 'Butler' Education Act 1944. Scottish education legislation is separate from that of the rest of the UK.

The main provisions of the Education Reform Act are as follows:

1. Grant Maintained Schools (GMS) were introduced. Primary and Secondary Schools could, under this provision, remove themselves fully from their respective Local Education Authorities and would be completely funded by central government. Secondary schools also had limited selection powers at the age of 11.

2. The Local Management of Schools (LMS) was introduced. This part of the act allowed all schools to be taken out of the direct financial control of Local Authorities. Financial control would be handed to the headteacher and governors of a school

3. The National Curriculum (NC) was introduced.

4. 'Key Stages' (KS) were introduced in schools. At each key stage a number of educational objectives were to be achieved.

5. An element of choice was introduced, where parents could specify which school was their preferred choice.

6. League tables, publishing the examination results of schools, were introduced.

7. Controls on the use of the word 'degree' were introduced with respect to UK bodies

[edit] Commencement

Date of commencement	Provisions	Authority for commencement
29 July 1988	ss. 1; 2(1)(b) and (2); 3 and 4; 14 and 15 and Sch. 2; 20 to 22 and 23(1); 25; 33 to 45 and Schedule 3; 46 to 104 and Sch. 4 and 5; 105; 112 and 113; 116; 119; 137 to 151; 153 to 201 and Sch. 8 as far as relating to the Education Assets Board, Sch. 9 and 10 and para. 67 of Sch. 12; 202 to 208 and Sch 11; 212 and 213; 217; 219 so far as relating to grant-maintained schools; 221 to 225 and 227(1); 230 to 235 and Sch. 6; 236; Part I of Sch. 12, paras. 60, 81, 82 and 102 of that Sch. and s. 237(1) so far as relating to those provisions and s. 238	s. 236(1)
29 September 1988	ss. 2(1)(a) and (3); 6, 8, 9, 10(1), 11 and 13 and Sch. 1	s. 236(3)
1 April 1990	Part II of Sch. 12; Part I of Sch. 13 and s. 237(1) so far as relating to those provisions	ss. 236(4) and (5)