100+ years of British education in quotations

The UK education system has seen some dramatic changes throughout its long history - from the introduction of state schooling in the XIXth century and gradually raising the school leaving age from just 10 to 18 to the introduction of a national curriculum in the XXth century.

Here're the most famous and interesting quotes about British education that perfectly capture and reflect these changes throughout the years:

John Stuart Mill was an English philosopher, political economist, politician, and civil servant as well as one of the most influential thinkers of the XIXth century. His renowned and widely celebrated essay 'On Liberty' argues for the importance of individual freedom, intellectual independence, and tolerance of other people's opinions.

Charlotte Mason was a British educator and reformer at the turn of the twentieth century. She introduced a new way of teaching children with a focus on reading engaging books, observing nature, and developing an appreciation for music and art. Her ideas surrounding homeschooling are still influential today.

Herbert William Fisher was an English historian, educator, and Liberal politician. He was the author of the Fisher Education Act of 1918 that made secondary education compulsory up to age 14 and gave responsibility for secondary schools to the state.

R. A. Butler was a prominent British Conservative Party politician. He is most renowned for the Education Reform Act of 1944 which influenced the British education system for decades to come.

Sir Ken Robinson was a British author, speaker and international advisor on education in the arts to government, non-profits, education and arts bodies. In 1998, he led a UK commission on creativity, education and the economy that produced an influential report All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education. The report recommends a much stronger emphasis on creative and cultural education and a new balance in teaching and in the curriculum between learning knowledge and skills and having the freedom to innovate and experiment.

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