The Public Schools Commission: ‘Impractical, Expensive and Harmful to Children’?

Abstract

In the mid-1960s, the Labour government established a Commission to devise the best way of integrating Britain's elite independent schools with the state-financed school system. Despite—and because of—the left's scepticism of private education, the Commission faced enormous obstacles and their solution of state-subsidised boarding places was seen as unworkable, unaffordable and unpopular. Government papers help to explain the various reasons why the Commission's proposals were not implemented: in particular, the public schools were regarded as a low spending priority. The lack of reform is key to understanding the continuing importance of independent schools in the UK.

Keywords:

• Harold Wilson
• Anthony Crosland
• Margaret Thatcher
• Public Schools
• State Education

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the following people who were involved with the Public Schools Commission for commenting on a draft of this article: Geoffrey Cockerill (Secretary, 1966–68); John Dancy (Member, 1966–68); David Donnison (Vice-Chairman, 1966–68, and Chairman, 1968–70); Howard Glennerster; and Harry Judge (Member, 1966–70).

Notes

Nicholas Hillman is a Special Adviser in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. His past publications include articles on Enoch Powell, British fascism after World War Two, as well as various think-tank books.

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[112] Glennerster and Wilson, Paying for Private Schools, 132.

[113] DES data, as used in Walford, ‘Private Schooling’, 5.

[114] Butler, ‘The Public Schools Commission’, 9.

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