Education and the Labour Movement 1870-1920

The second volume of Brian Simon’s series Studies in the History of Education traces developments from the securing of universal education with the Education Act of 1870 to the conclusion of the First World War. These educational developments were marked by the increasing role played by organised labour in pressing for the reform of the system of universal education – opposing class privilege and prejudice and urging equal opportunities for all. With the formation of the public schools and then with the defeat of the school boards which were trying to improve the opportunities for working-class children, a divided system of education became well-established, in which the few were trained for university entrance and then for the top jobs while the mass were denied anything but an ‘elementary’ education. While Labour Party opposition to this division was largely unsuccessful many vital concessions were won in these years including the abolition of school fees and the provision of school meals. The book also explores the effects of imperialist expansion on educational ideas and also examines the developments in adult education.