Education plays a very important role in the development of a country. In fact, one influences the other. As geographical conditions, racial character, historical and cultural traditions influence the life of a people, similarly, they have their inevitable impact on education as well.
This can be said about any country and Great Britain is no exception to it.
The climate of Great Britain is generally healthy. The sea-coasts are open throughout the whole year due to the warm gulf-stream. Therefore, there are many good harbours which function as good means of transport with other parts of the world.
Image Source : genheration.com
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The good climate of the country has made its people industrious. Thus trait of industriousness is inculcated in boys and girls as is evident from the curriculum of the school. The co-curricular activities also develop industriousness in children. The informal agencies of education, too, provide opportunities for development of knowledge in children who, industrious as they are, derive full advantage.
Great Britain is an industrial country with big industrial towns. Hence, its culture and civilisation are derived from the same. Because of industrial development of the country there are many technological and professional institutions, spread all over the country. These institutions are situated mostly in towns. The life style of the people of this country is ever developing because of these various types of educational institutions.
Many couples in Great Britain are employed in factories and other industries. They are busy earning money to the maximum with a view to raise their standard of living very high. As a result, many children have to be in pre-primary schools and at other educational centres while their parents are away from home and working in offices and factories.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Thus, the schools and teachers have to shoulder a great national responsibility in giving education to a huge number of young children. Because of this feature the British people have shown tremendous faith and loyalty to teachers who enjoy great respect in society.
The British government too is trying to improve the conditions of teachers. Consequently, teachers in Great Britain enjoy a better social status and prestige than any other country in the world.
Some of the racial character traits of the British people may be clearly noticed in their educational systems. One of the character-traits of the British people is that in them we find a judicious blend of new and old tendencies. By nature they are conservative, but in ideas they are progressive.
However, any newness does not tempt them to discard the old traditions wholly. Due to this progressive attitude great changes of far-reaching importance are introduced in the educational system but the people because of their conservative nature, have also always staged opposition to the same. Ultimately, they accept the new ideas but never permit the undermining of their own old traditions.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The education Act of 1944 is an example of this tendency. This Act has prescribed new types of school buildings but the public has not accepted them in entirety. Even to-day many schools are found in their old patterned buildings.
Though, this is against the law, but the government has to accept this situation. Similarly, the Act has emphasised the opening of new secondary schools but even to-day there are many old secondary schools still functioning with the government approval.
The love of freedom is a great character-trait of the British people, so they never like any state interference in their freedom. Consequently, the impact of individualism is very well marked in the educational system of the place.
Because of their love for freedom many educational systems have refused government help, thinking that the same will result into state interference in their work. In 1833, many educational institutions accepted state help, but they refused to accept any restrictions placed by the government. Evidently, the British people have great love for their individual freedom and they cannot lose it at any cost.
Another trait of the British people is that they cannot tolerate centralization of powers in any individual or group. They do believe in partnership among powers, but they cannot accept the full ownership of the same by any other authority or individual.
They have great regard and faith in their king or queen (Crown) but they believe in democratic traditions and practice the same. They consider the Parliament responsible for everything. They do not want that the implementation of a plan or policy should be entrusted to the authority of a single individual. Hence the same is decentralised in various communities.
This tendency is seen in the British educational system as well. The educational powers are not concentrated in a single individual. The Education Minister is responsible to the Parliament and the Local Education Authorities are responsible to the Minister.
The various education officers in carrying out their responsibilities have to depend upon other officers and committees. This feature is found in the organisation of schools and committees. The principal and teachers are mutually interdependent and so are education committees and related officers. Thus, co-operation and division of responsibility in carrying out a task may be regarded as a special trait of the British people.
In the development of education, the various religious organisations have played a very important role. This is quite evident in the progress of education of the country. This fact is indicative of the tendency that the British people are very devoted to their religion.
Although secularism is emphasised in the country, yet religion plays an important role in the educational system there. Each student is devoted to his own religion but respects the religious faith of others.
The country schools and voluntary schools have been classified on religious grounds, simply because the religious sentiments of each other should be respected. Thus, the life and the character of British people have their inevitable impact on education.
The geographical conditions, racial character-traits and social and cultural traditions influence education in a country. Great Britain is no exception to it.
The sea-coasts of the country are open throughout the whole years. The climate is healthy. Therefore, the people are laborious. The trait is visible in their educational organisations as well. The children are eager to learn and are industrious.
There are big towns in the country. Most of the educational institutions are in cities. Parents are busy earning money. Children have perforce to be in pre-primary schools. Teachers bear a great national responsibility. They enjoy great respect in society.
The British people are freedom-loving. They cannot tolerate state interference. Therefore, many state laws have been ignored by many educational institutions.
The British people, though having full faith in their Crown, believe in democratic traditions. Their democratic traditions are seen in educational organisations as well.
The British people are religious. Each child get religious education but each shows respect to religious faith of others as well.