Forster Act

E1044066

The Forster Act was a landmark 19th-century British law that established the framework for compulsory, state-supported elementary education in England and Wales.

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Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom
education law
ageRangeCovered 5–13
aimedTo fill gaps in school provision
provide elementary education for all children
allowed establishment of board schools
levying local rates for education
public funding of elementary schools
alsoKnownAs Elementary Education Act 1870 NERFINISHED
appliesTo England NERFINISHED
Wales NERFINISHED
contained Cowper-Temple clause NERFINISHED
conscience clause for religious instruction
country United Kingdom
created elected school boards
createdFor local school districts
debatedOver role of religious instruction in schools
didNotProvide universal free elementary education
enactmentYear 1870
historicalSignificance first national framework for state-supported elementary education in England and Wales
foundation of the modern British state education system
influenced later compulsory education legislation in the United Kingdom
introducedBy William Edward Forster NERFINISHED
introducedByOffice Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education NERFINISHED
jurisdiction England and Wales
languageOfText English
legislativeArea public welfare
social policy
madePossible compulsory attendance by by-laws
namedAfter William Edward Forster NERFINISHED
parliament Parliament of the United Kingdom NERFINISHED
permitted school boards to make attendance compulsory
school fees to be charged
politicalContext Liberal government of William Ewart Gladstone NERFINISHED
predecessorOf Elementary Education Act 1880 NERFINISHED
regulated voluntary schools
relevantTo history of education in England
history of education in Wales
restricted denominational religious teaching in board schools
royalAssentDate 1870-08-09
status amended
subjectMatter compulsory education
elementary education
state education

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.