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

A4 - Essay Example 5). Before 1979, policies that came under the Labour and Conservative governments were more oriented towards greater equality and increased economic growth than on any other goal. The main legislation associated with equal opportunities at this time were the Equal Pay Act (1970, coming into force in 1975), the Sex Discrimination Act (1975) which specifically included education, and with respect to ‘race’ issues, the Race Relations Act (1976). All 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 anxious to see enacted the spirit as well as the letter of the legislation. Feminists played a significant role in inducing EU to emerge new strategies ensuring equality of opportunities regardless of gender, culture or race. The main concern however was to point the EU towards recognising inadequacies in schooling for girls. The school curriculum was followed by obsolete 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 social 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 pressure 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 sexual 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