Education Reform Act 1988

Infobox UK Legislation
short_title=Education Reform Act 1988
parliament=United Kingdom Parliament
long_title=An Act to amend the law relating to education.
statute_book_chapter=1988 c. 40
introduced_by=
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 Scotland and Northern Ireland also extend there
royal_assent=29 July 1988
commencement=Various dates from 29 July 1988 to 1 August 1992
amendments=Further and Higher Education Act 1992, Education Act 1996
related_legislation=
status=Amended
original_text=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880040_en_1.htm
activeTextDocId=2100398|

The Education Reform Act of 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. (Scottish education legislation is separate from that of the rest of the UK.) It also forms the basis for the United States' No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

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

:1. 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.

:2. 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 headteacher and governors of a school

:3. The National Curriculum (NC) was introduced.

:4. 'Key Stages' (KS) were introduced in schools. At each key stage a number of educational objectives were to be achieved.

:5. An element of choice was introduced, where parents could specify which school was their preferred choice.

:6. League tables, publishing the examination results of schools, were introduced.

:7. Controls on the use of the word 'degree' were introduced with respect to UK bodies.

Commencement

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.

External links

*UK-SLD|2100398
* [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880040_en_1.htm The full text of the Act] at the Office of Public Sector Information.