Originally published in 1973,this book describes the medieval origins of the British education system, and the transformations successive historical events – such as the Reformation, the Civil War and the Industrial Revolution – have wrought on it. It examines the effect on the educational pattern of such major cultural upheavals as the Renaissance; it looks at the different parts played by church and state, and the influence of new social and educational philosophies.

Richard Garner has spent 36 years reporting on education, working for the Times Educational Supplement, The Mirror, and The Independent. In The Thirty Years War, he retraces the steps of his career, examining the policies, personalities, success stories and outright failures of the UK education scene from the 1980s to the present day. Richard gives his verdict on the 16 Education Secretaries he has seen come and go, and offers an insider's view of the major issues and events of his time in office, ranging from the fight to abolish corporal punishment to the rise of the academy movement, and now the Government's move to open new grammar schools. It is a story of power, policies and personalities, and how the events of the past three decades have shaped the education sector in the UK today.

The English higher grade schools formed a key part of an expanding 19th-century education system, but they threatened the vested interests of a powerful Establishment bent on reaffirming the status quo. The author analyzes the 1902 Education Act as a retrogressive move by which much was lost.

Special Education in Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Exceptionality is designed for use by preservice and inservice teachers who will teach students with special needs in the general classroom. The text provides a rare glimpse into the lives of persons with exceptionalities, including their families and teachers. Focusing on human exceptionalities across the life span, the text employs a traditional organization beginning with four foundations chapters that introduce teachers to special education, followed by 10 "categorical" chapters each on a different "disability." Each categorical chapter features sections on transition, cultural diversity, technology, instructional strategies, and family considerations.