Education Legislation

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    Education Politicy Changes

    A selection of the major changes to the British public education system since the 1800s.
  • Government Funding

    First government fund of £20,000 towards Church of England schools.
  • Grammar Schools Act

    Legal to use income on subjects other than classical languages.
  • School Sites Acts

    Eased the purchase of land for the construction of school buildings and established government grants for the education of 'the poor'.
  • Government Funding

    Government funded most of the cost of teacher training. System of apprenticeship established from age 13.
  • Public Libraries Act

    Free public libraries and museums allowed to be built by town councils
  • School Grants Act

    Free public libraries and museums allowed to be built by town councils
  • School Grants Act

  • Revised Code (Lowe)

    Amended government funding per pupil based on attendance and results of pupils passing annual exams in reading, writing and arithmetic assessed by a school inspector.
  • Public Schools Act

    Applied conditions to 9 schools considered as public schools. The act gave the schools independence from the Crown, government or church. It established a board of governors for each school and gave them responsibility for their administration and curriculum development.
  • Education Act

    Attempted to establish free education for all. It allowed school board to be set up where there was insufficient provision by voluntary schools. Fees were still payable with exemption for poorer parents. Boards could compel attendance.
  • Elementary Education Act (Sandon's Act)

    This act focused on making education compulsory for all. Parents had a duty to ensure their children received elementary education in reading, writing and arithmetic. School committees could compel attendance.
  • Elementary Education (Industrial Schools) Act

    Extended the powers of school boards over industrial schools
  • Elementary Education Act

    Extended the 1876 Act for compulsory education for children aged 5 to 10 years old.
  • Idiots Act

    Dealt with the educational needs of those with learning difficulties. Established distinctions between mental illness and learning difficulties.
  • Lunatics Act

    Muddled the established distinctions of the 1886 Idiots Act
  • Elementary Education Act

    Grants now available to all schools. No charging for basic elementary education.
  • Elementary Education Act

    Raised the school leaving age to 11 years old.
  • Elementary Education (Blind and Deaf Children) Act

    Set up special schools for blind and deaf children.
  • Elementary Education (School Attendance) Act (1893) Amendant Act

    Raised the school leaving age to 12 years old.
  • Elementary Education Defective and Epileptic Children) Act

    Allowed local authorities to set up special schools and classes for children suffering from described difficulties.
  • Education Act

    Established a system of secondary education integrating higher grade elementary schools and fee-paying secondary schools; abolished school boards and established local education authorities (LEAs)
  • Secondary Regulations

    Introduced a subject-based curriculum
  • Education (Provision of Meals) Act

    allowed LEAs to provide meals for undernourished elementary school children.
  • Education (Administrative Provisions) Act

    Introduced scholarship/free place system for secondary education and required LEAs to provide medical inspections of elementary school children.
  • Education (Choice of Employment) Act

    Foundation of careers service.
  • Education Act

    Wide-ranging Act extending education provision in line with recommendations of 1917 Lewis Report, which proposed school leaving age of 14 with no exemptions, followed by attendance for at least 8 hours a week or 320 hours a year at day continuation classes up to age 18.
  • Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act

    Prohibits the employment of a child in any industrial undertaking.
  • Education Act

    Consolidated all previous laws relating to education and raised school leaving age to 14.
  • Education Act

    Set the structure of the post-war system of state education.
  • Education Act

    Set out arrangements for the management of voluntary and controlled schools.
  • Milk!

    Free milk provided for all pupils.
  • GCE

    General Certificate of Education (GCE) introduced
  • Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act

  • Education Act

    Grants and loans to aided schools and special agreement schools.
  • Education Act

    Required LEAs to provide students with grants for living costs and tuition fees; placed legal obligation on parents to ensure that children received a suitable education at school or otherwise - failure to comply could result in prosecution; made LEAs legally responsible for ensuring that pupils attended school.
  • CSE

    Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) introduced in England and Wales.
  • Education Act

    Laid down rules about changing the character of a school (eg to comprehensive).
  • Education Act 2

    Required polytechnics and other LEA colleges to have governing bodies.
  • Children and Yound Persons Act

    Gave LEAs responsibilities for children not receiving education or in need of care and control.
  • Education (Milk) Act

    Limited the provision of free milk in schools.
  • Education (Work Experience) Act

    Allowed LEAs to organise work experience for final year school students.
  • Education Act

    Gave the Secretary of State the power to ask LEAs to plan non-selective systems (repealed by the Conservatives in 1979).
  • Education Act

    Repealed Labour's 1976 Act - allowed LEAs to maintain selection.
  • Education Act

    A major act which instituted the assisted places scheme (public money for children to go to private schools), gave parents greater powers on governing bodies and over admissions, and removed the obligation on LEAs to provide school milk and meals.
  • Education Act

    Gave parents new rights in relation to special needs.
  • GCSE

    General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE): common 16+ exam system replaced GCE O Level and CSE
  • Education (Amendment) Act

    Education support grants and midday supervision.
  • Education Act

    Required LEAs to give governors information on funding.
  • Education (No.2) Act

    Required LEAs to state policies, governors to publish annual reports and hold parents' meetings; laid down rules on admissions, political indoctrination and sex education; abolished corporal punishment; ended Secretary of State's duty to make annual reports.
  • Education Reform Act

    Major act establishing the National Curriculum, testing regime, Local Management of Schools (LMS) etc.
  • Education (Student Loans) Act

    Introduced 'top-up' loans for HE students and so began the diminution of student grants.
  • Further and Higher Education Act

    Removed FE and sixth form colleges from LEA control and established Further Education Funding Councils (FEFCs), unified the funding of higher education under the Higher Education Funding Councils (HEFCs), introduced competition for funding between institutions, abolished the Council for National Academic Awards.
  • Education (Schools) Act

    Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education).
  • Education Act

    Changed the funding of GM schools, laid down rules for pupil exclusions and for 'failing' schools, abolished NCC and SEAC and replaced them with the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA), defined special educational needs.
  • Education Act

    Established the Teacher Training Authority (TTA) and regulated student unions.
  • Education Act

    Significant act mainly consolidating all education acts since 1944.
  • School Inspections Act

    Consolidated previous legislation on school inspections.
  • Education (Student Loans) Act

    Transferred provision of student loans to the private sector.
  • School Standards and Framework Act

    Encouraged selection by specialisation, changed the names of types of schools, limited infant class sizes, established Education Action Zones etc.
  • Teaching and Higher Education Act

    Established the General Teaching Council (GTC), abolished student maintenance grants and required students to contribute towards tuition fees.
  • Learning and Skiills Act

    Established the Learning and Skills Councils for England and Wales, allowed city technology colleges to be renamed city academies.
  • Education Act

    Significant legislaion related to academies and the independence of schools related to curriculum, teacher pay etc.
  • Children Act

    Based on the 2003 green paper Every Child Matters.
  • Higher Education Act

    Allowed universities to charge variable top-up fees.
  • Education Act

    Aimed at Ofsted school inspections, changed role of the TTA.
  • Education and Inspections Act

    A controversial act amending the rights of teachers regarding disciplining pupils, confiscating items as a disciplinary measure or when used in illegal or disruptive means. Parents must be given 24 hours' notice of detentions outside of school hours. Teachers given the right to search for weapons.
  • Education and Skills Act

    Raised the education leaving age to 18; Key Stage 3 SATs effectively abolished.
  • Children and Yound Persons Act

    Local authority responsibilities and social work services.
  • Academies Act

    Provided for huge and rapid expansion of academies.
  • Education Act 2011

    Implemented major changes as outlined in the White Paper 2010: The Importance of Teaching. Related to behaviour, discipline, free schools, the national curriculum, qualifications amongst many others.