Education Act 1902

Education Act 1902

Tht Education Act 1902 introduced the Local Education Authority system. This LEAs act abolished the old school boards and transferred control of education to 140 new Local Education Authorities. For higher education known as ‘secondary’ education the LEAs were not in control this rested with the County and Borough Councils.

LEAs were formed based on Urban District Councils with populations of 20,000 or more and boroughs with populations of 10,000 or more. The focus was again on elementary education.

Each LEA appointed an Education Committee which w as approved by th Board of education. The act also provided for the support of voluntary schools from the local rates and some government grants. This act stimulated the development of Higher education in the UK and in particular the Cockerton Judgement should be considered.

The Cockerton Judgement of 1901

This was a test case of 190 which was a catalyst in he passage of the 1902 Education Act. The case was brought by T B Cockerton an auditor who claimed that according to the 1870 Education Act, the provision of secondary education by the London School Board constituted an illegal use of the school rate. Fortunately the setup of the LEA system overcame the difficulty and enabled broader development and provision of free schooling in the UK going forward.

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