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The prep schools are a part of the much larger story of British education. Education in Britain, especially state-funded education, was controversial from the start. The history of British education is a fascinating account. The basic educational history of Britain was covered in our first book, Boys' Preparatort Schools. There are many different types of schools that have come and gone in Britain. The prep schools and related public schools are just two of these different types of schools, but are at the heart of the independent system. There was considerable resistance in England to free public education. Some objected to the cost. Others objected to the social consequences of an educated working class. As a result, state-funded education in England lagged behind that in many other European countries and America. The story of British education of course varies somewhat from country to country. The development of the Scottish education system in particular is someswhat different to that in England. We are going to focus on just one part of the British educational history--the preparatory school. The story of the preparatory school begins in the mid-19th century. We are going to pick it up in the late 20th century.
The prep schools are a part of the much larger story of British education. Education in Britain, especially state-funded education, was controversial from the start. The history of British education is a fascinating account. The basic educational history of Britain was covered in our first book, Boys' Preparatort Schools. There are many different types of schools that have come and gone in Britain. The prep schools and related public schools are just two of these different types of schools, but are at the heart of the independent system. In our eBook series, we are going to focus on just one part of the British educational history--the preparatory school. The story of the preparatory school begins in the mid-19th century. We are going to pick it up in the late 20th century.
There was considerable resistance in England to free public education. Some objected to the cost. Others objected to the social consequences of an educated working class. As a result, state-funded education in England lagged behind that in many other European countries and America. This was unusual for a Protestant country. The German states as early as the 18th century saw a educated population, including the working class as a national assett. The English did not even in the early- and mid-19th century.
The story of British education of course varies somewhat from country to country. The United Kingsom is composed of several constiuent countries and other units. The principal ones are England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
The educatiuonal system and the private schools in Wales is quite similar to that in England. We are less sure about Northern Ireland. The development of the Scottish education system in particular is different in many aspects to that in England. The educational system in England was largely various kinds of independent schools until the late 19-th century. This was not the case in Scotland which because of the Reformastion, state-supported schools developed at a very early period. And the availability of excellent free public education affected the development of independent schools. Today there the sdchools in England and Scotland are very similar, but there are some differences.
