Education Reforms

Question 1

When and what was the Fisher Education Act?

Answer 1

1918

• Increased the school leaving age to 14.
• Nursery schools provided for toddlers, free compulsory health checks for secondary schools.
• Punished those who employed schoolchildren.

Question 2

What was the impact of Fisher’s Education Act?

Answer 2

• Few nursery and contribution schools were actually provided due to the Geddes Axe cuts in 1922, which slashed education spending by 1/3.

Question 3

When was the National Schools and British Schools Act?

Answer 3

1908 - 1811

Question 4

What did the National and British Schools Act do?

Answer 4

• Public schools - National schools in England and Wales.
• Joined to the church of England - curriculum was largely based around religious education.
• Provided elementary education for the poor - All ages were taught.
• Access to primary schools rose from 58% in 1816 to 83% in 1835.

Question 5

When was the Grammar Schools Act?

Answer 5

1840

Question 6

What did the Grammar School Act achieve?

Answer 6

• Grammar Schools were allowed to vary their curriculum with access to more money.
• State-run - beginning of state intervention in education.
• Wealthy middles classes attended.
• Academic exams were introduced - there were also specific boarding schools for preparing students for careers in services and administration.

Question 7

When was the Public Schools Act?

Answer 7

1868

Question 8

What did the Public Schools Act achieve?

Answer 8

• Public schools.
• Charity-run schools originally.
• All years welcome - all ages.
• The Act led to the reintroduction of 7 out of the 9 leading charity-run schools, not led by the Church and State (different governing boards).

Question 9

When was the Taunton Report?

Answer 9

1868

Question 10

What did the Tauton Report achieve?

Answer 10

• Public, Grammar and Private school.
• Run by the government.
• Upper, middle and working class attended.
• Children were separated into grades depending on their social and financial status.
  +“1st grade” - Stayed on until 18.
  +“2nd grade” - Attended up until 16 years old.
  +“3rd grade” - Left school at 14.

Question 11

When was the Endowed Schools Act?

Answer 11

1869

Question 12

What did the Endowed Schools Act achieve?

Answer 12

• Grammar, public and private sectors separated.
• Run by the government.
• A fee was introduced for middle class education - Grammar schools. This led to an increase in Grammar schools.
• The Act allowed the government to address the issues of Grammar and working class schools.

Question 13

When was the Elementary Education Act (The Forester Act)?

Answer 13

1870

Question 14

What did the Elementary Act achieve?

Answer 14

• Board schools - public.
• State funded.
• Provided compulsory schooling for 5-10 year olds as well as schooling for all children from all backgrounds.
• Schools were fee paying, unless you qualified as being “poor”.
• The curriculum was limited to the “3 R’s” - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic).
• By 1900, Board Schools accounted for half of all primary schools in the country.

Question 15

When was the Education Act (Balfour Act)?

Answer 15

1902

Question 16

What did the Balfour Act achieve?

Answer 16

• Churches taught 1/3 of all primary children.
• Allowed all schools (State, church-run and charity-run) to raise taxes and obtain more funds.
• All ages attended - new curriculum available to everyone.
• The school leaving age was raised to 11 in 1893, 12 in 1899 and 14 in 1921.
• Led to 1000 new county secondary schools.

Question 17

When was the Butler Act?

Answer 17

1944

Question 18

What did the Butler Act achieve?

Answer 18

• Promised secondary education for all.
• Attempted to achieve this goal by raising the school leaving age and dividing the all-age elementary education into primary and secondary schools.