Context
Context includes the time period the writing is set in, the prevailing social and political conditions at the time of publication, and specific influences that inspired the writer to pen such an article.
The above passage appears to be a news article from a British newspaper. It was written in 2009. Although not immediately current, it addresses an ongoing national discussion about the dangers of "dumbing down" in the United Kingdom. In fact, there have been a slew of articles since then that have reported on the "dumbing down" phenomenon in education that concerns many British citizens.
The prevailing debate centers on questions of fairness versus quality: should academic institutions concentrate on instilling high standards of academic excellence or on providing equal opportunities for all? Recently, a barrage of articles (the above being one of many) have condemned the public predilection for pop culture and its disdain for serious discourse; as a result, there have been ubiquitous calls for a national examination of the public consciousness.
Critics of the "dumbing down" phenomenon contend British colleges and universities now award top honors to more than 70% of new graduates, essentially making their new degrees "meaningless" in terms of quality. The context of the article centers on the national debate regarding eroding academic standards and the simultaneous decline of British culture.
Here are articles on "dumbing down" in British society:
The "dumbing down" of British culture and society.
Universities 'dumbing down' degrees so more students graduate with top class honors.
Style
In any piece of writing, style includes diction (word choice) and syntax (sentence construction). In the Birmingham article, the author has chosen to use a more formal style of writing, as opposed to an informal style. Slang is not used in the article at all. The formal style with few contractions is perfectly suited to the serious subject matter.
Also, the style of the article is more informative than expository. In expository writing, the author provides evidence for taking a particular stance on a topic; on the other hand, informative writing aims to impart the straight facts and circumstances of a situation without the inclusion of personal opinion. In the Birmingham article, the author delineates the prevailing sentiments on both sides of the "dumbing down" debate, but he doesn't provide any arguments to support a personal stance on the matter.
Tone
As a practice, tone constitutes the author's own attitudes towards the subject matter. In the Birmingham article, the author is serious, clear, concise, and candid. It is an article devoid of tangential information; the author is focused on the "dumbing down" debate exclusively.
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