This was a devastating indictment of the American education system. Bloom demonstrated the catastrophic consequences of abandoning belief in 'true truth' or absolute values. But what about the situation in Britain? What philosophical assumptions lie behind our education system? Progressive educational philosophy was a reaction against 'repressive' traditional teaching techniques, such as rote-learning, whole class teaching, and streaming. The 'child-centred' approach advocated methods taking account of individual needs.