Secondary Education for All

Book excerpt: Secondary Education for All cannot be considered independently from the life and career of its author, R. H. Tawney. Written in 1922 in time for the general election, it is the Labour party's first major statement on adolescent education. It reflects the historical insights and ardent political convictions of an economic historian turned socialist, and helped to bring the issue of education reform from the periphery of politics to a more central position. Through the introduction of free secondary education for all, Tawney hoped to rid education of class inequality over a generation. This is a classic and influential text which acted as a springboard for educational advance which reflects the growing educational and political debate of 1920s Britain.