The Missing Stratum

In 1990, the "Financial Times" noted that "the absence of a tier of technical schools is the single biggest failure of British post-war educational policy". Starting with the creation of early technical schools before the First World War, and finishing with John Patton's new policies in 1993, this book examines the development of the technical school sector and the factors which have weakened it and led to its demise. It argues that the neglect of technical schools has resulted in the poor levels of British skill formation and industrial performance, especially since World War II. For both economic and educational historians, this book aims to contribute to the debate on the decline of the British economy. Sanderson's previous books include: "Education, Economic Change and Society 1780-1870", "The Universities and British Industry", "Educational Opportunity and Social Change in England 1900-1980s", and "From Irving to Olivier: A Social History of the Acting Profession in England 1880-1983".