Originally published in 1982. This book analyses developments in primary education since 1974 and from this analysis draws out issues gaining rapidly in currency and seem likely to have significant impact on primary education in the following decade.

General Editor's Preface Philip H. Taylor Foreword Colin Richards Part 1: Introduction: The End of a Golden Age? 1. Primary Education: 1974-80 Colin Richards Part 2: The Primary Curriculum: The End of Laissez-Faire? 2. Introduction 3. The Curriculum Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools 4. The Curriculum in Primary Schools: Conclusion to 'A View of the Curriculum' Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools 5. Curriculum Consistency Colin Richards 6. Curriculum Policy Making in Primary Schools Roy Garland 7. Should Science Be Taught in Primary Schools? Jack Kerr and Elizabeth Engel 8. Teaching Young Children About the Past Joan Blyth 9. New Directions in Nursery Education Joan Tamburrini 10. The Primary Curriculum: A Proper Basis for Planning David Oliver 11. Teacher Education and the Primary Curriculum Robin Alexander Part 3: Evaluation And Accountability: The End Of Intuition? 12. Introduction 13. Who's Afraid of Evaluation? Barry MacDonald 14. Accountability, Progressive Education and School-based Evaluation John Elliott 15. Matching Wynne Harlen Part 4: Policy, Organization and Management: The End of Teacher Autonomy? 16. Introduction 17. The Primary Teacher as Servant of the State John White 18. The Politics of Primary Contraction Eric Briault 19. Organization Development and the Primary School Harry Gray Part 5: Studying Primary Classrooms: The End of the Black Box? 20. Introduction 21. Multiple Realities and Their Reproduction in Infants’ Classrooms Ronald King 22. Strategies and Tactics in Junior School Classrooms Maurice Galton 23. Progressive Education: A Reformulation from Close Observations of Children Stephen Rowland Part 6: Postscript: The End of Primary Schooling? 24. Introduction 25. Changes in Western Society: Educational Implications Tom Stonier