Education Learning Journey
"Strange notions, has he?" said the old man. "Ah, there's too much of that sending to school in these days! It only does harm. Every gatepost and barn's door you come to is sure to have some bad word or other chalked upon it by the young rascals: a woman can hardly pass for shame sometimes. If they'd never been taught how to write they wouldn't have been able to scribble such villainy. Their fathers couldn't do it, and the country was all the better for it."
Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native, Book 2, Chapter 1.
Fortunately not everyone was of this opinion about education, which is why you can read this today.
Follow the steps to see how your great-grandparents fought for our education.
Click on the steps below to explore.
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Education Learning Journey. Step 6. Twentieth Century legislation.
The Conservative Government's Education Act of 1902 abolished the School Boards and created Local Education Authorities, with the power to establish new secondary and technical schools, and to continue the existing elementary schools. This was not popular among many nonconformist religions and many people refused to pay their rates in protest, some went to prison for their principles.In 1906 the new Liberal Government passed an act allowing schools to provide dinners for their pupils, Fred Jowett, Labour MP. for Bradford argued that compulsory school attendance meant that children were not being fed properly, (Bradford was the first authority to provide meals for children). In 1908 the country's first school clinic was opened in London by Margaret McMillan, who had campaigned with Fred Jowett for school meals, and in 1914 she started an open-air nursery school for children aged eighteen months to seven years. In 1918 an act was passed making attendance compulsory up to the age of 14, also provision for medical inspections, nursery schools and special needs education. The Education Act of 1944 created a new structure for education post-war. The school leaving age was raised to 15, and schools were divided into three types to cater for the different abilities and aptitudes of children, Secondary Modern, Technical and Grammar Schools. Entry to these schools was based on an examination at age 11, called the 11+. The 1945 Labour Government under Clement Attlee appointed the first woman Minister for Education, Ellen Wilkinson, a former Manchester Councillor and under her guidance the School Milk Act was passed, which ordered the issuing of one-third of a pint of milk a day for each pupil. Many educational experts opposed the idea of selection at the age of 11, and Comprehensive schools where pupils of all abilities would be educated were tried by some Local Education Authorities. Following the 1964 election the Labour Government put into practice the creation of a comprehensive education system, many of the existing schools amalgamated to form the larger comprehensives, and some were newly built. Some Grammar schools became independent fee paying schools away from Local Authority control. Find out more about the educational reformers of the twentieth century like Margaret and Rachel McMillan and Ellen Wilkinson, why do you think they were also linked with health and social reform? SD |
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