These are usually described as the traditional and progressive philosophies. It should also be emphasised that perhaps more than anything else, progressive educationists fear objective testing, because they know that honest measurement of results highlights the deficiencies of their philosophy and its inherent methods of teaching. Major tenets of the traditional philosophy are listed below with the progressive equivalents alongside. Progressives give particular attention to English, History and RE, because these subjects have enormous cultural importance. Since the 1960's, state education in this country has been inexorably driven towards progressive ideology by means of teacher training, the 'philosophical cleansing' of the teaching profession and its administrators, the removal of the eleven-plus exam, of different examinations for different abilities, and of the choice of grammar, technical or other types of school.
Progressive ideology includes some good sense, which makes it difficult to recognise or oppose.
The skills of reading, writing and solving problems are essential, if a young person is to be useful in the world of work. Experience, experiment and understanding are also important. Difficulties arise because, in order to disguise their true intentions, progressive educationists have their own meanings for key words - meanings which are not immediately obvious to outsiders. Understanding' may simply mean the ability to recognise a political or philosophical message within a text. Equal opportunity is a desirable objective with which few people would disagree.