Testing Times : a A History of Vocational, Civil Service and Secondary Examinations in England since 1850

Front Matter....Pages i-xii Introduction....Pages 1-7 Background....Pages 9-26 Technical and Vocational Education....Pages 27-56 The Public Sector Context....Pages 57-78 Secondary Education....Pages 79-107 The Twentieth Century....Pages 109-135 The Twenty-First Century....Pages 137-157 Conclusion....Pages 159-163 Back Matter....Pages 165-170 This book focuses on the delivery of public examinations offered by the main examining boards in England since Victorian England. The investigation reveals that the provision of examinations was as controversial in the nineteenth century as it is today, particularly since the government is now determined to bring in reform. The issues of grade inflation, the place of coursework in marking, and the introduction of technological change all feature in this book. Educational policy is primarily examined as well as some reference to the global scene. The study analyses archival material from a wide range of sources, including those records stored at the National Archives and the London Metropolitan Archives. An emphasis is placed upon the various institutions that contributed to the process, including the Royal Society of Arts, the London Chamber of Commerce, the City of Guilds of London Institute and the University of London. Attention is given to the findings of the Taunton Commission and the Bryce Commission and shorter reports such as the Northcote-Trevelyn Report which served to radicalise entry and recruitment to the Civil Service. The modern GCSE and the plans for I-levels are considered and key observations are made about the efficacy of those examinations offered by Oxford and Cambridge universities and O-levels, A-levels and NVQs, The reader is given every opportunity to benefit enthusiastically in this account of examinations, and those engaged in education, whether teachers, examiners, students or administrators, will be able to gain useful insights into the workings of the examination system. COVER 1 CONTENTS 6 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 8 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 12 INTRODUCTION 14 NOTES 19 CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND 21 ORIGINS AND THE MIDDLE CLASSES 21 THE LOWER CLASSES 28 SMITH, MILL AND BENTHAM 33 NOTES 37 CHAPTER 2: TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION 39 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS 39 THE LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 44 CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE 47 PRIVATE TEACHERS 54 NOTES 65 CHAPTER 3: THE PUBLIC SECTOR CONTEXT 69 THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND ART 69 THE CIVIL SERVICE 1858–1870 75 THE CIVIL SERVICE 1870–1900 83 NOTES 88 CHAPTER 4: SECONDARY EDUCATION 91 THE COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS 91 OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE LOCALS 101 UNIVERSITY OF LONDON 114 NOTES 117 CHAPTER 5: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY 120 TECHNICAL EXAMINATIONS 120 CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS 130 SECONDARY EXAMINATIONS 134 NOTES 144 CHAPTER 6: THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY 147 VOCATIONAL EXAMINATIONS 147 CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS 153 SECONDARY EXAMINATIONS 159 NOTES 165 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION 168 NOTES 172 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 173 INDEX 176