Discover how universal education was first introduced in France in 1802, formalised into mass classroom-based education in Prussia in 1810 , adopted by the UK in 1870 and thereafter worldwide. Explore the division between nurture and nature in the major theories of learning and reflect on present day criticism of what is dubbed a ‘factory system.’ Will it survive in the digital era?

The fundamental fault line that runs through educational debate is between Liberty or Conformity. It goes to the heart of, ‘what is the purpose of education’? Either we give freedom of choice over what and when to learn or enforce conformity with school daily attendance and adherence to a prescribed curriculum. Home schooling is on the rise after the Covid lockdown and this debate is no longer purely academic but awakening the whole historical debate on the purpose of education. Reflect on the many different forms of school organisation and curricula that have emerged over recent years and gain a sharp well referenced guide to the whole debate.