Welsh Journals

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1870 ELEMENTARY EDUCATION ACT IN CARDIGANSHIRE DURING THE PERIOD 1870-1880, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE BOROUGH OF CARDIGAN AND THE PARISH OF LAMPETER I ON 9 August 1870 the royal assent was given to the Elementary Education Act which introduced revolutionary changes in educational administration and in the supply of schools. The three main objects of the Act were-to establish a national system of education, to provide sufficient elementary school accommodation to meet the needs of the whole country, and to set up local machinery to make good any deficiencies where they existed. Section 6 stated that the necessary number of efficient schools could be provided in each district either by voluntary agencies or by representative bodies elected by the rate- payers, and that the Education Department in London could, under certain conditions, compel districts to set up such boards. The duties of the school boards included the provision, maintenance, and manage- ment of their own schools and the carrying out of the Department's interpretation of the Act. They were not to interfere with the manage- ment of voluntary schools but they could (under section 23) take them under their control if it was the wish of management committees to transfer them. They were also empowered to remit the fees of poor children and to allow or exclude undenominational religious instruct- ion in schools under their management. In brief, the Act placed the emphasis on local needs and circumstances, and looked to the school boards in towns and parishes throughout the country to guarantee that all areas had an adequate number of suitable elementary schools. II To carry out the provisions of the Act the Education Department made use of sections 67-72, which required the Councils of all boroughs and the Overseers of all parishes not situated in a borough to send on or before 1 January 1871 a return containing particulars 'with respect to the elementary schools and children requiring elementary education in their districts.' In its circular dated 16 August 1870 it issued more detailed instructions to the town clerks of the boroughs about filling in the necessary returns which should furnish information about the population, the number of ratepayers, and the rateable value of the borough the returns were also to contain signed statements by the