The Education of Women in the United Kingdom from the 1944 Education Act to the End of the 20th Century

master's thesis

• Author: Đurđica Hibler
• Mentor: Lovorka Zergollern-Miletić (mentor)
• Committee member: Marija Andraka (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Ivana Cindrić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Lovorka Zergollern-Miletić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Teacher Education; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2021-06-30, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Pedagogy

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to discover and describe what education looked like for women in the
United Kingdom in the period from the Education Act in 1944 to the end of the 20th century,
and to identify the effects on women’s education. The education system in the United Kingdom
of that time and of modern time are explained and taken as the basis for understanding the
events happening in education in the second half of the 20th century. The 1944 Education Act
is taken as a starting point for this thesis as it replaced all previous education laws. Even though
its goals were benevolent, it led to even greater discrimination of women. Through all phases
of education, many scientists found evidence of gender inequality, male dominance, and
harassment of girls. The influence of family was strong in choosing schools and jobs, but those
decisions were considered less important for girls than for boys, since the emphasis was put on
women raising children and taking care of the family, and not being career women. Despite all
that, women’s educational achievement and success only grew form the middle of the 20th
century. The 20th century ended with female dominance at almost all levels of education.
However, their success and advance still showed evidence of traditional bias and gender
inequality. That begs the question: How long will it take for people to free themselves of gender
stereotyping in education and reach equal opportunities and treatment of everyone, not only in
the United Kingdom but in the world?

Abstract (croatian)

Cilj je ovoga rada otkriti i opisati kako je izgledalo obrazovanje žena u Ujedinjenom
Kraljevstvu u periodu od Zakona o obrazovanju iz 1944. godine do kraja 20. stoljeća te
prepoznati utjecaje na obrazovanje žena. U radu se objašnjavaju i koriste tadašnji i sadašnji
sustav obrazovanja u Ujedinjenome Kraljevstvu kao temelj za razumijevanje događaja u
obrazovanju u drugoj polovici 20. stoljeća. Zakon o obrazovanju iz 1944. godine uzet je kao
početna točka za ovaj rad jer je zamijenio sve prethodne zakone o obrazovanju i donio mnoge
promjene. Iako su mu ciljevi bili dobronamjerni, zakon je doveo do još veće diskriminacije
žena. Mnogi su znanstvenici pronašli dokaze o nejednakosti spolova, prevlasti muškaraca i
uznemiravanju djevojaka u svim fazama obrazovanja. Utjecaj obitelji u odabiru škola i poslova
bio je snažan, no te odluke smatralo se manje bitnima za djevojke nego za mladiće jer je
naglasak za žene bio na odgajanju djece i brizi za obitelj, a ne karijeri. Unatoč svemu tome, od
sredine 20. stoljeća obrazovna postignuća i uspjeh žena neprestano su rasli. 20. stoljeće završilo
je prevlašću žena na gotovo svim razinama obrazovanja. Međutim, njihov uspjeh i napredak i
dalje je pokazivao prisutnost tradicionalne pristranosti i nejednakosti spolova. To dovodi do
pitanja: „Koliko će dugo trebati ljudima da se oslobode spolnih stereotipa u obrazovanju i da
se dosegnu jednake mogućnosti za sve i jednako postupanje prema svima, ne samo u
Ujedinjenom Kraljevstvu nego i u svijetu?“

• Keywords: education; education of women; 20th century; the United Kingdom
• Keywords (croatian): obrazovanje; obrazovanje žena; 20. stoljeće; Ujedinjeno Kraljevstvo
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:147:912652
• Study programme: Title: Integrated undergraduated university study with english language and german language; specializations in: English language, Deutsche sprache; Course: English language; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja (magistar/magistra primarnog obrazovanja)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2022-07-14 08:14:15