One of the earliest pieces of legislation relating to education dates back to 1870, when free state education was introduced. Although school attendance was not compulsory, it offered children from less privileged backgrounds the opportunity to attend school for free. This is clearly an educational policy that reduces social class inequality, as it allows those who have no money to attend school without having to pay. A second element of education policy which could be said to have as its main objective the reduction of class inequality is The Education Act 1944. Prior to this, only middle-class children could attend grammar schools and receive an prestigious education due to cost. However, the Education Act 1944 introduced the 11+ examination and the 'tripartite system'. All children took the 11+ exam. Those who passed could attend primary school, those who failed went to secondary modern school, and those with special abilities went to secondary technical school. This meant that even if a working class child had no money, but passed the 11+ exam, he or she could then attend primary school. Although at first glance it appears that this policy is reducing class inequality, the 11+ exam and the tripartite system have been criticized. This is because the 11+ exam was seen as biased in favor of middle class pupils. Furthermore, there had to be equality of esteem between the 3 schools. However, grammar schools were considered much better. Furthermore, working-class children who, by passing the 11+ exam, secured a place in high school, could not even go there, because the price of the various uniforms and sportswear was too high. In response to this, in 1965, comprehensive education was introduced. This system......middle of paper......tion. By 1985, the program was serving approximately 6,000 students per year. This is clearly a policy that helped improve class equality, as placements in top schools were based on reward and merit, rather than finance, something the working class lacks. Overall, there have been many policies over the last century that have helped improve class equality. reduce social class inequality. However, it is not always positive. For example, the replacement of grants with loans may have dissuaded working-class students from entering higher education, as those from poorer backgrounds are more likely to fear falling into debt. Additionally, there are many factors that can influence academic achievement outside of the classroom, such as problems at home. Educational policies can only help improve educational experiences within schools, and are not always successful (e.g. Marketization of Education).