A4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A4 - Essay Example5).Before 1979, policies that came under the Labour and Conservative governments were more orientated towards greater equality and increased economic growth than on any other goal. The briny statute law associated with equal opportunities at this time were the Equal Pay Act (1970, coming into force in 1975), the kindle Discrimination Act (1975) which specifically included education, and with respect to race issues, the Race Relations Act (1976). whole these Acts set legislation towards a range of policies which were initiated and developed by individual teachers, schools and local authorities, many of whom were vehement to see enacted the spirit as well as the letter of the legislation.Feminists played a significant constituent in inducing EU to emerge new strategies ensuring equality of opportunities regard slight of gender, culture or race. The main concern however was to point the EU towards recognising inadequacies in schooling for girls. The school curric ulum was followed by rare syllabuses and content were found to exclude the experiences of girls and women whether white or black. At secondary level, where choice was available, girls tended to opt for humanities, languages and loving science, and boys for Science, Mathematics and technological subjects (Pratt et al. 1984). Also, students tended to be directed into traditionally male and female subjects and careers, and in the main, girls careers were believed to be less important than boys.The hidden or unwritten curriculum of schooling was also found to exert compel on students and staff to conform in sex-specific ways. For example, there were different rules on uniform and discipline for girls and boys, and versed harassment and verbal abuse were found to be common features of school life (Lees, 1987). These inequalities were felt by the teachers and advisory staff and by the early 1980s female teachers began to develop a range of strategies in order to counter