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Curriculum, Assessment and Policy

Plowden Report

Government Report

The Plowden Report, formally Children and their Primary Schools, was a 1967 report by the Central Advisory Council for Education in England, chaired by Bridget Plowden, that reviewed primary education and strongly recommended child-centered teaching methods. It shaped English primary education policy for decades, championing ideas including individualized learning, discovery-based teaching and closer engagement between schools and parents, though its recommendations were later criticized and partly rolled back by subsequent, more traditionally oriented reforms.

Facts
Key Provision
Praised child-centred approaches to education. 1
Enacted / Adopted Year
1967 1
Classification
Education Level
Primary Education (ISCED 1) 1
FAQs

What did the Plowden Report mean by positive discrimination?

The report asked for positive discrimination in favour of schools in deprived areas and the children in them, going well beyond an attempt to equalise resources. It said such schools should be given priority in many respects. The first step was to raise schools with low standards to the national average. As national policy, it said positive discrimination should favour schools in neighbourhoods where children are most severely handicapped by home conditions.
Sources
1. Plowden Report - Wikipedia
  • Introduction
    the 1967 report of the Central Advisory Council For Education (England)
  • Main findings
    praising of child-centred approaches to education
  • Description, education-level classification
    The Plowden Report, formally Children and their Primary Schools, was a 1967 report by the Central Advisory Council for Education in England, chaired by Bridget Plowden, that reviewed primary education and strongly recommended child-centered teaching methods.
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