education act

Provision of Meals

     The cost of providing meals for elementary school children who were otherwise unable to make use of the provision of education due to lack of food, was met by the Local Education Authorities. Those parents who could afford to pay the subsidized cost of the meal, were charged the nominal amount of one penny or a halfpenny [Wardle, 1977], while most did not pay by reason of their circumstances. Voluntary contributions helped the local authorities to meet the costs of school feeding. “The state supply of school meals established an important beachhead for the subsequent development of welfare programmes” [Lund, 2002: 70] such as those related to medical attention, educational scholarships and several humanitarian concerns.  

School Medical Inspection

   The Education Act 1907 placed responsibility on local education authorities “to provide for the medical inspection of children on their admission to a public elementary school” [Lund, 2002: 71]. Doctors and nurses went to schools to carry out the medical inspections free of cost. Though inspection was compulsory, any treatment required by the children had to be paid for by the parents, until the introduction of the Education Acts of 1912 and 1918 which made treatment also compulsory. The other areas covered by the 1907 Act was to allow local authorities to take charge of vocational advice to the students, and to provide play centres and other forms of recreation during holidays as well as academic classes during vacations.

     Further, the 1907 Education (Administrative Provisions) Act established the scholarship and free place system for secondary education with the purpose of giving promising children from elementary schools the opportunity to go to secondary schools [Gillard, 2001].

Conclusion

     This paper has highlighted the significance of the Educational Acts of 1906 and 1907 with their emphasis on providing for children’s nutritional and health needs. From these earliest Liberal reforms emerged further legislation in rapid succession, supporting the care and development of children in England.  

Bibliography

Frost, N, Child Welfare, (2005)

Gillard, D, Education in England, (2001). Retrieved on 25th October, 2008 from:

Lund, B, Understanding State Welfare, (2002)

Wardle, D, English popular education 1780-1970, (1977)