Education and Social Class

I thought it was really interesting learning about the different paths of education that children can take in the UK compared to our system in the US. The fact that many children have to make such large decisions at a young age to determine their direction at a University is interesting and probably more detrimental then positive. Our lecturer mentioned that it is more difficult to change your concentration after you've already started taking classes and A-Levels that apply to it. This is the same for American students—of course, it's going to be more difficult to get back on track if you continually change your major. Still, British students make these decisions sooner, and although they get in depth knowledge of their chosen subject, it may still hurt more then help people who do not straight away know what they want to do with their lives, which is from what I've seen, the majority of people. Still, I appreciate the regimented system for as she said, “Although it may not be the best, it is efficient.”
Learning about how education ties into social class and hierarchy was also interesting, and the connection doesn't surprise me. Education ultimately raises people up that wouldn't necessarily have a chance. It is so important and close to me because I really believe that it gives people opportunities and the power to think for themselves. In Britain, with the pressure of hundreds of years of prestige riding on some of these schools, it unfortunately seems especially difficult to get into a 'better' school. However, it is important to note that only 2% of British students go to Oxbridge, so perhaps these better schools are hardly representative.
This lecture was particularly insightful and interesting to me because I'm a Liberal Studies major aiming to become an elementary (or in British terms, primary) teacher. I enjoyed learning about their education system and a bit of its history, and her explanation of social class.