| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to provide for public Elementary Education in England and Wales. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 33 & 34 Vict. c. 75 |
| Introduced by | William Forster (Commons) |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales[2] |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 9 August 1870 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Charities Act 1960, s 48(2) & Sch 7, Pt I, so far as not otherwise repealed.[3] |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2023) |
The Elementary Education Act 1870[4] (33 & 34 Vict. c. 75), commonly known as Forster's Education Act, set the framework for schooling of all children between the ages of 5 and 12 in England and Wales.[5] It established local education authorities with defined powers, authorized public money to improve existing schools, and tried to frame conditions attached to this aid so as to earn the goodwill of managers. It has long been seen as a milestone in educational development, but recent commentators have stressed that it brought neither free nor compulsory education, and its importance has thus tended to be diminished rather than increased.[6]
The law was drafted by William Forster, a Liberal MP, and it was introduced on 17 February 1870 after campaigning by the National Education League, although not entirely to their requirements. In Birmingham, Joseph Chamberlain, not yet a Member of Parliament, was a prominent campaigner on the issue. However, like many grassroots Liberals, he opposed the bill because it was open to the possibility of subsidising Church of England schools with local ratepayers' money.[7]
It was one of the Elementary Education Acts 1870 to 1893.[8][6][7]
- ^ The citation of this Act by this short title was authorised by section 1 of this Act. Due to the repeal of this Act, it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
- ^ The Elementary Education Act 1870, section 2
- ^ For a list of the enactments that otherwise repealed this Act, see Halsbury's Statutes of England and Wales, Fourth Edition, 2010 Reissue, Volume 15(1), Page 101.
- ^ "Elementary Education Act 1870 - full text". Archived from the original on 14 November 2013.
- ^ Walter H. G. Armytage, "The 1870 education act." British Journal of Educational Studies 18#2 (1970): 121-133.
- ^ a b Nigel Middleton, "The Education Act of 1870 as the Start of the Modern Concept of the Child." British Journal of Educational Studies 18.2 (1970): 166-179.
- ^ a b Peter T. Marsh, Joseph Chamberlain (1994) pp 34-55
- ^ The Short Titles Act 1896, section 2(1) and Schedule 2
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