L'educació al Regne Unit

This work assesses the outcome of the education policies of the Labour Government in Britain between 1997 and 2005. Tony Blair promised that his government would make education a priority issue. The first part of the study evaluates the level of investment in education in the context of overall government spending. Despite an initial drop in the percentage of the national revenue dedicated to education in the years prior to 2000 – in keeping with the previous spending plans of the Conservatives – a significant increase in spending followed. The second part of the study analyses the impact of the changes imposed on schools in relation to performance. These included the introduction of a national study plan, the regular examining of pupils, the publication of exam results by schools, the refunding of parts of the school budget, increased freedom for parents to choose their children’s school, and the allocation of funds according to pupil numbers as the basis for school financing. The result of this approach has been to leave schooling in what is effectively a quasi-market situation. The third part of the study deals with the financing of third-level education. Despite some initial shortcomings in design, the British approach to funding university education has now become a model of its kind in Europe. Following graduation, the student repays the loans taken out to cover university fees and expenses through tax returns, according to his/her level of income. Students from poor families receive state grants covering both registration fees and living expenses.