Education Reform Act 1988

Education Reform Act 1988
Dates
United Kingdom Parliament
Long title	An Act to amend the law relating to education.
Citation	1988 c. 40
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 Northern Ireland and Scotland also extend there
Royal assent	29 July 1988
Commencement	Various dates from 29 July 1988 to 1 August 1992
Other legislation
Amended by	Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Education Act 1996
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Education Reform Act 1988 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk

The Education Reform Act 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.

Provisions

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

Academic tenure was abolished for academics appointed on or after 20 November 1987.^[1]
An element of choice was introduced, where parents could specify which school was their preferred choice.
City Technology Colleges (CTCs) were introduced. This part of the Act allowed new more autonomous schools to be taken out of the direct financial control of Local Authorities. Financial control would be handed to the head teacher and governors of a school. There was also a requirement for partial private funding. There were only 15 schools that were eventually set up. The successor to this programme was the establishment of Academies.
Controls on the use of the word 'degree' were introduced with respect to UK bodies.
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.
'Key Stages' (KS) were introduced in schools. At each key stage a number of educational objectives were to be achieved.
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 head teacher and governors of a school.
The National Curriculum (NC) was introduced.
Took the control of higher and further education provision out of Local Authority control ^[2]

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)

Use of the word 'degree'

The Act uses a common technique in UK legislation in that it makes it illegal to offer or advertise any qualification that appears to be, or might be mistaken for a UK degree. This restriction is then removed in respect of qualifications from bodies on a list maintained by Statutory Instrument.

Religion

The act required "broadly Christian" acts of worship in schools. The National Muslim Education Council objected that the wording to be changed to "the worship of the one supreme God".^[3]

This requirement was built upon in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

References

↑ Times Higher Education, 5 December 1997, Memories of jobs for life
↑ http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/40/part/II/chapter/I
↑ New community, Volume 18, Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations, University of Warwick, 1991, p.465.

United Kingdom legislation
Pre-Parliamentary legislation	List of English statutes Charter of Liberties Magna Carta
Acts of Parliament by states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain	Acts of the Parliament of England to 1483 1485–1601 1603–1641 Interregnum (1642–1660) 1660–1699 1700–1706 Acts of the Parliament of Scotland
Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain	1707–1719 1720–1739 1740–1759 1760–1779 1780–1800
Acts of the Parliament of Ireland	to 1700 1701–1800
Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	1801–1819 1820–1839 1840–1859 1860–1879 1880–1899 1900–1919 1920–1939 1940–1959 1960–1979 1980–1999 2000 to date Halsbury's Statutes Legislation.gov.uk Short titles
Church of England measures	List Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919
Legislation of devolved institutions	Acts of the Scottish Parliament List Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales List Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland Orders in Council for Northern Ireland
Orders-in-Council	Order in Council
Secondary legislation	United Kingdom Statutory Instruments Scottish Statutory Instruments Acts of Sederunt Acts of Adjournal
Legislation relating to the European Union	1972 to date

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