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The United Kingdom is a capitalist country with a socialist education system. Children under the age of 18 get access to education for free, this is known as state school (this is considered as a socialist system). But parents are also able to send their child(ren) to private school for a certain amount of money each semester per year. Parents who enroll their children into a private school are often upper-middle class. For a child to receive this education there are big expenses to be made, which is why only a select group of people in the country get to have this education.
It is proven that in the United Kingdom, children who live in low-income homes achieve an average of 1.7 GCSE grades lower than those who are wealthier than them. Also, because state schools are given tight budgets, they cannot provide extra equipment and books, etc. This can have a knock-on effect on the children if their parents are not able to pay for this either (McInerney, 2013).
Another aspect of education in in the United Kingdom is access to higher education such as University. For a student to be able to go to university they must have a broad range of GCSES and A-Level grades, students must take a range of exams to get these grades. The typical offers vary depending on the status of the university and the standards they have for their students. A problem for many in the UK is the cost of attending uni. If you do not come from a wealthy family or are unable to be provided with support, it can land you in big amounts of debt. One year of tuition for a student who lives in the country is £9,250. This is without the cost of accommodation, food, transport, etc. Many people in low-income families tend to disregard higher education as they are not able to justify the expediential costs. In an article on the Guardians website, an ex-student stated, “My dad cannot afford a headstone for my mother's grave. Do you honestly expect me to get into £40,000 of debt for a degree when I could get a job and help him out?” (McInerney, 2013).
The Covid-19 outbreak has had a detrimental impact on education here in the UK. When the nation went into the first lockdown students were not able to be in school and had to learn remotely from home, which many struggled with. Whether that was finding the motivation or not being able to access the internet or contact their teachers, it made it very difficult for students to learn. Students who were supposed to be taking exams that would determine their future were not able to do so. This led to center-assessed grades which some people were not happy with. These grades were based on mock exams and bits of classwork. Many argued that this was not a fair way to grade the students, mostly because of the algorithm that was set for this. Some students under achieved and felt like they could have done better if they were able to sit their exams. Private school students had a big advantage when it came to receiving their grades and their education. Because class sizes are much smaller, these students did not need to social distance. Also, they received much better grades overall than students in state schools (‘The Socialist’, 2020).
Not only has the pandemic impacted secondary schools but also the early years and primary sector of education. In the UK, children start formal education earlier than in most other developed countries. A big problem with this is that class sizes are larger but with smaller classroom sizes, this is because of huge cuts in funding and staff. Ever since the return of schools during the outbreak, the government have ignored what requirements are needed for good child development. At this current time, mental health in young people is at an all-time low. The pressure for young children to follow the curriculum and its formal teaching methods can be considered toxic. Especially for children who come from working-class backgrounds, the experience that they now have with school is one of huge pressure. Over 4.2 million children currently live-in poverty, school should be a safe place for them and should not be a place of high demand. It should be a space where they can thrive and learn without feeling so much pressure. As a country, we need to develop a curriculum that is not test driven but instead should be child centered ('The Socialist', 2020).
In summary, the UK’s education system involves elements of socialism, but there are also aspects that the nation can take from other socialist education systems which would improve these students lives.
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