In overall terms compulsory schooling in the U. K has not been a success story in the postwar period. The problem is not that there has been deficiency of resources, rather the main defect has been the quality of output. This has been reflected in two main areas: a low level of attainment in core subjects, especially in the lower ability ranges, and the failure to devise a satisfactory system of pre-vocational education for the many pupils who leave school at the age of 16. The main losers are not the minority of academically gifted children, but the majority who have lower ability. One of the greatest lost opportunities of twentieth century education seems the failure to develop technical education for teenagers of school age through Junior and secondary technical schools. It Is said that this is the main cause of the shortage of skilled labour in recent years. However, curriculum and examination system have still been academically oriented for the minority of the elite. The proximate cause of the failure can be attributed in large part to the lack of a clearly defined educational policy. The long-standing deficiency in mathematics and science attainments has serious implications for the quality of subsequent training and ultimately for work performance, not only In manufacturing but also In many service trades. It is argued that important causes of UK`s poor competitive performance may be traced back to inadequate instruction at the formal stage of education.