Education after 1870

1
Education after 1870

• Towards Universality?

2
The Forster Education Act

• School Boards set up
• Board members elected
• Money used to fund existing and new schools
• Places could be free for needy children
• Only Bible teaching allowed in Board schools
• Cowper-Temple clause gave parents the right to
  remove children

3
How effective was the Act?

• Maintained and improved the existing system
• Religious division continued (re elections,
  teaching, funding)
• Payment by results and attendance continued
• By 1900, 54 pupils in Board schools. London
  School Board built 400 schools
• Three times as many children educated by 1900,
  though many children still at work instead
• Increasing cost unpopular with working class

4
How was the Act supported?

• 1873 outdoor relief made dependent on school
  attendance
• 1876 attendance made the responsibility of
  parents
• 1880 attendance compulsory for children aged
  5-10 (fees waived for the poor). Leaving age 11
  1893 and 12 - 1899
• 1890 payment by results in three Rs abolished
• 1891 Fee Grant Act virtually establishes free
  elementary education

5
The Balfour Education Act - causes

• Some Boards had been spending on Secondary
  education. Successful case brought against London
  Board in 1901
• Some inefficient Boards (especially rural areas)
• Board of Education established in 1899
• Robert Morant at Board of Education
• Booth (London, pub. 1903), Rowntree (York, pub.
  1899)
• Desire for national efficiency
• Continued relative decline, Boer War
• Reactionary government? Remove power of elected
  School Boards and increase CofE and grammar
  influence

6
The Balfour Education Act, 1902

• Abolished School Boards
• Established LEAs (local Education Authorities)
• Money from rates could be spent on secondary
  education
• Fees required but scholarships also provided
• Money from rates could be spent on Voluntary
  (Church) schools

7
How effective was Balfours Act?

• Numbers in secondary schools doubled from 94,000
  in 1905 to 200,000 in 1914
• Many LEAs set up grammar schools for able pupils
• Provision for technical schools also available
• Criticism for expense and as a dangerous act of
  State socialism
• Middle classes benefited most

8
Balfours Act the religious issue

• Huge revolt of Non-conformists 7000
  prosecutions for refusal to pay rates and 170 in
  prison
• Massive unrest in South Wales
• Rome on the Rates
• Based on view that funds from rates used for
  Church schools. (Taxation had always done this to
  some extent)
• Contributes to election defeat in 1906?

9
Fisher Education Act - causes

• Collectivist/interventionist attitude
• Fisher at the Ministry of Education
• Working class vote
• Economic changes decline of traditional
  industries beginning
• Failure of Balfour Act to increase Sec Ed
  significantly

10
Fishers Education Act, 1918

• Compulsory education until 14
• Elementary school fees abolished
• No children should be debarred through the
  inability to pay fees
• Encouragement for continuation classes past
  school leaving age. Part time schooling ended
• Proposals required from LEAs for all aspects of
  education (nursery adult education)

11
How effective was Fishers Act?

• 1923 75 of all children in elementary
  education
• Only 7.5 receiving advanced instruction at
  secondary/technical schools
• Geddes Axe curtailed spending (51m in 1921 -
  41m in 1924)
• Massive extension of the scope of education
  government grants to LEAs and teachers salaries
  increased

12
Hadow Report, 1926

• Abolish elementary and replace with primary to
  age 11 and secondary (grammar or modern) to age
  15
• Secondary Education for Allirrespective of
  income, class or occupation of their parents.
• 2/3 of all children over 11 in modern schools
  by 1938 (plus some in grammar)
• School leaving age not raised in 1931 as planned

13
By 1939

• free places up from one third to ½.
• Total numbers up from 200,000 to nearly 1/2m.
• Total spending stayed about 6 of government
  expenditure
• Local authorities doubled expenditure and paid
  for about 50 of education

14
Spens Report, 1938

• Accepted principle of free secondary education
  and higher leaving age
• Tripartite division modern, technical and
  grammar
• Encourage progressive methods curiosity, exam
  focus
• Widely applauded by teaching profession
• Conservative view of Board of Education and
  threat and outbreak of war a brake on reform

15
Butler Education Act, 1944 Change?

• Schools monitored by LEAs and overseen by
  Minister for Education.
• All fees abolished
• Obligation to provide education sufficient in
  number, character and equipment for all pupils
• Primary and secondary introduced
• Leaving age set to rise to 16 in future

16
Butler Education Act - Causes

• R.A Butler as Minister for Education
• Spens, Hadow and Butler reports
• Britain questioning her place in the world
• WW2 increases intervention
• Previous experience/legislation

17
Butler Education Act Continuity?

• Interpreted so as to continue tripartite
  division a small number of LEAs set up
  comprehensive education
• Private schools outside govt. control
• Built on previous practice and legislation
• Maintained hierarchic system
• RE and worship required in every state school

18
Education Reforms

• 1833 first government grant to education
• 1856 teacher training colleges set up
• 1861 payment by results
• 1870 Forster Act free elementary education
• 1902 Balfour Act establishes LEAs
• 1918 Fisher Act free and compulsory to 14
• 1944 Balfour Act primary/secondary
• - free and compulsory to 15