Brian Simon (26 March 1915 – 17 January 2002) was an English educationist and historian. A leading member of the

Communist Party of Great Britain The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist organisation in Britain and was founded in 1920 through a merger of several smaller Marxist groups. Many miners joined the CPGB in the 1926 general strike. In 1930, the CPGB ...

, his history reflected a Marxian interpretation.

Background and early life

The younger son of Ernest Darwin Simon, 1st Baron Simon of Wythenshawe and Shena, Lady Simon, he was the brother of the second Baron Simon of Wythenshawe, Roger Simon, the solicitor and writer on

Gramsci Antonio Francesco Gramsci ( , ; ; 22 January 1891 – 27 April 1937) was an Italian Marxist philosopher, linguist, journalist, writer, and politician. He wrote on philosophy, political theory, sociology, history, and linguistics. He was a fo ...

. After

Gresham's School Gresham's School is a private school (English fee-charging boarding and day school) in Holt, Norfolk, England, one of the top thirty International Baccalaureate schools in England. The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a f ...

Holt, Norfolk Holt is a market town and civil parish in the county of Norfolk, England. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town has a population of 3,550, rising and including the ward to 3,810 at the 201 ...

, where he was a contemporary of

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

and Donald Maclean, and two terms at Schule Schloss Salem, under the headship of

Kurt Hahn Kurt Matthias Robert Martin Hahn (5 June 1886 – 14 December 1974) was a German educator. He was decisive in founding Stiftung Louisenlund, Schule Schloss Salem, Gordonstoun, Outward Bound, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and the first of the U ...

, Simon went up to

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

in 1934, becoming a leader of the University Education Society. In 1935 he joined the

(as his brother Roger would do a year later) and the student Marxist Study Group. In 1940 Simon wrote to Joan Peel, his future wife, that at Gresham's most of his creative instincts had been driven out of him or deep underground. After Cambridge, he went to the

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

Institute of Education The UCL Institute of Education (IOE) is the faculty of education and society of University College London (UCL). It specialises in postgraduate study and research in the field of education and is one of UCL's 11 constituent faculties. Prior t ...

to train as a teacher.

Career

In 1938, he was appointed to the newly formed Labour Party education advisory committee and was elected secretary of the National Union of Students branch at the Institute of Education, going on to become President of the NUS in 1939. He travelled to international student conferences, one such visit being with

Guy Burgess Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess (16 April 1911 – 30 August 1963) was a British diplomat and Soviet double agent, and a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring that operated from the mid-1930s to the early years of the Cold War era. His defection ...

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

in the summer of 1939. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Simon served in the Dorsetshire Regiment and the

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

and was attached to the ''Phantom regiment'' (General Headquarters Liaison), which took him to many places and led to a lifelong friendship with the actor

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an English actor, soldier, raconteur, memoirist and novelist. Niven was known as a handsome and debonair leading man in Classic Hollywood films. His accolades include an Academ ...

. After the war, Simon taught in a Manchester primary school, then at Varna Street Secondary Modern, and for three years at Salford Grammar School, where he produced a play that gave

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining fame for movie acting during the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' ( ...

his first stage role. From 1950 to 1980 he taught at the

University of Leicester The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...

as a lecturer, becoming reader (1964), and professor (1966), retiring as an

emeritus professor ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

in 1980. Simon emerged as a major figure in the world of education, writing on the history and politics of education and advocating a national system of

comprehensive school A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis ...

s. Anne Corbett, in her obituary of Simon in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' said that he came under increasing attack in the late 20th century: ''

'' obituary also said that Simon's writing had reflected a Marxian interpretation of history.

Publications

*''A Student's View of the Universities'' (1943) *''Intelligence Testing and the Comprehensive School'' (1953) *''The Common Secondary School '' (1955) *''Studies in the History of Education, 1780–1870'' (1960) *''Halfway There: Report on the British Comprehensive School Reform'' (with Caroline Benn, 1970) *''Intelligence, Psychology, and Education: a marxist critique'' (1971) *''Bending the Rules'' (1988) *''Education and the Social Order, 1940–1990'' (1991) *''A Life in Education'' (1998)

Personal life

On 12 February 1941 Brian Simon married Joan Peel, assistant editor of the ''

Times Educational Supplement ''TES'', formerly known as the ''Times Educational Supplement'', is a British weekly trade magazine aimed at education professionals. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in ''The Times'' newspaper. Such was its popularity th ...

'', the daughter of Home Peel, a civil servant in the

India Office The India Office was a British government department in London established in 1858 to oversee the administration of the Provinces of India, through the British viceroy and other officials. The administered territories comprised most of the mo ...

and descendant of Sir Robert Peel. They had two sons, Alan (born 1943) and Martin (born 1944).

Primary sources

* Simon, Brian. ''The two nations and the educational structure, 1780–1870'' (1960) a scholarly history in 4 volumes * ''Education and the Labour Movement, 1870–1920'' (1965) * ''The Politics of Educational Reform 1920–1940'' (1974). * ''Education and the Social Order 1940–1990'' (1991). * Simon, Brian. ''A Life in Education'' (1998), autobiography Simon's personal papers are held in the Archives at the

, University of London.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Brian Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Comprehensive education English educational theorists Schoolteachers from Greater Manchester People educated at Gresham's School Academics of the University of Leicester British Army personnel of World War II Communist Party of Great Britain members Younger sons of barons 1915 births 2002 deaths Alumni of Schule Schloss Salem Dorset Regiment soldiers Royal Corps of Signals soldiers