The views of the educational system differ between these sources. Source A outlines that the educational system promoted creativity moreso than just drilling information into people's heads by memorization, which definitely demonstrates a more "recent" (for lack of a better word) approach to education, since we think of this approach as innovative and recent. It describes the educational system as "relaxed, informal, with an emphasis on creativity rather than barrack-room drilling." Source B outlines that educational methods and standards have improved, but that such education is "disproportionally accessible" to the most advantaged of British society, showing that although the educational system did improve, not everyone had access to it, which makes it seem as if there was not as much of an advantage to these changes as one would think from Source A. Source C outlines academic performance differences between working-class and middle-class students, and lends support to Source B's assertion that the higher of class you were, the more access to education you'd have - Source C states that middle-class children performed better academically than working-class children (who would have had less access to educational opportunities). Assuming both sources B and C are accurate, it seems evident that Source A doesn't mention the fact that the reformed educational system was not evenly accessible to all.
2. Research the structure of the British school system in the period 1900-1945. What elements remained unchanged after 1945?
The British school system underwent several changes in the late 1800s, as well as others in the first half of the 20th century. One of these was the Balfour Act, which replaced school boards with Local Education Authorities that are still in use today. Secondary education was made compulsory up to age 14, as well. The 1944 Act, also known as the Butler Act, established the Tripartite System, It defined the grammar school as the place of education for the academically gifted (with entrance determined by a selection exam. Initially this was the "Scholarship" exam, which was later replaced by a "Grading Test", later replaced by the 11+ examination. Children who did not pass the selection test attended technical schools or secondary modern schools. Elements that remained unchanged after 1945 include the role of Local Education Authorities, in England and Wales, as well as the mandatory nature of school attendance. However other changes have taken place in the British educational system, mostly from the period of 1975-2000, including the Education Reform Act of 1988 which introduced the National Curriculum amongst other reforms. It's also important to note that the educational systems in different parts of the United Kingdom differ, and that what I stated above is mostly true for England and Wales.
3. Using these sources and further research evaluate the educational changes in the period 1945-2000 in terms of the effect on the social structure of Britain.
The educational system, particularly the Tripartite System, came under criticism following 1945, with many considering it elitist. The Work Experience Act of 1973 led to the introduction of middle schools, of which there are now fewer than 400 middle schools across England and Wales, which is not a lot if you think about it. The Education (Work Experience) Act increased the legal leaving age of school from 15 to 16, and the goal of this was to try to lower the number of students who left school, and employment in heavy industry and artisan trades has declined since the 1970s, showing a definite correlation between education and professions. Since heavy industry and artisan trades are often associated with working-class, it would seem that the social structure of Britain was altered in that social mobility has become increasingly possible since. Since 1997, further emphasis has been put on tailoring education to each child's ability. Other changes have been made, but it seems to me that since 93.7% of British are enrolled in secondary education and 26% obtain tertiary education, and I highly doubt all of these individuals are upper class, it becomes evident that education has become more accessible to the general population and that it will continue to do so in the future. Tertiary education refers primarily to colleges, universities, and technical institutions, and if 26% are attending them, you have to figure that they have to come from a variety of financial backgrounds, given that 26% of the British cannot reasonably be upper class/wealthy/rich but probably a mixture of upper, middle, and working class. The limitation of this assertion is that I can't find specific statistics that break down that 26% any further, but common sense would suggest they are not solely upper class.
Sources: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/16/contents
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_England
http://www.nationmaster.com/country/uk-united-kingdom/edu-education
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