Scottish Education and Society Since 1945: Democracy and Intellect

The book "Education and Social Change in Scotland" uses a unique series of social surveys to study education and social change in Scotland from the late 1940s to the new century. It presents Scotland as a case study, comparing it to domestic education reform in England and Wales and internationally with the rest of Europe and North America. The book investigates the social basis of these changes, who benefited and who did not, and their consequences for opportunity and civic values. The growth of education, especially among young people born since the 1960s, has transformed the debate about Scottish independence.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Scotland's internationally unique series of surveys of school students, from the late 1940s to the new century, is unparalleled in its longevity, range of topics, and depth. It uses Scotland as a case study, as it experienced all the major educational changes of the developed world in the second half of the 20th century. The book compares the educational reform in England and Wales to Scotland and internationally with the rest of Europe and North America, particularly France, the Netherlands, and Ireland. The social basis of these changes is systematically investigated, examining who benefited, who did not, whether these divides narrowed or widened, and the consequences for opportunity and civic values.

The debate about Scottish independence has been transformed by this growth of education, especially among young people born since the 1960s, who have been the main beneficiaries of educational expansion. The book's analysis investigates the interplay between deliberate policy and wider social change, and the transformation of education in this period is accompanied by equally important economic restructuring, which has led to unprecedented change.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474498418