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The UK Labour government intends to focus on pre-school and primary education, but the gap between the privileged and under-privileged at this level appears to be widening. The number of families with both parents in work has risen, as has the number of families with neither parent in work. Where both parents work private pre-school education is bought, whilst in the underfunded state sector services are poor. At primary level the gap could widen, with schools whose performance is poor focusing mostly on the basics and good schools producing pupils for independent secondary schools.

The education system in Birmingham, UK, reflects the system throughout the country, with independent schools at the top, followed by grammar schools, church schools and ordinary state comprehensive schools. The majority of state schools in the city are managed well and their results are increasingly better, but there is a wide social and educational gap between them and the selective King Edward VI schools.

The UK primary school league tables, based on the results of assessment tests in English, Science and Maths at age 11, are especially important in 1998 as the Labour government is focusing on primary schools in its aim to improve educational standards. Local education authorities will come under scrutiny, as it has been found that, even considering social factors, standards vary between authorities.

Summerhill, the boarding school in Suffolk, UK, set up in 1921 by A.S. Neill, could be forced to close following an inspection which found mathematics and English standards lacking. It is traditional at Summerhill for pupils not to be obliged to attend lessons. The principal, Zoe Redhead, Neill's daughter, is prepared to make lessons obligatory if the children vote in favour, although Neill would prefer closure to giving in.

Some teachers in the UK allow children to waste time copying work, colouring pictures and filling in work sheets instead of focusing on teaching them basic skills. A lot of teachers believe that children learn more through independent activities. Teacher training needs to be reviewed, and local education authorities need to be inspected, amongst measures leading to more effective teaching.