Education Act 1918

Education Act 1918, often known as the Fisher Act, is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (8 & 9 Geo. V c. 39). It was drawn up by Herbert Fisher.

This raised the school leaving age to fourteen and planned to expand tertiary education. Other features of the 1918 Education Act included the provision of ancillary services (medical inspection, nursery schools, centres for pupils with special needs, etc). [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ED1918.htm]

By the 1920s, the education of young children was of growing interest and concern to politicians, as well as to educationalists. As a result of this rising level of public debate, the Government of the day created a series of commissions of enquiry, headed by Sir William Henry Hadow. Altogether the Hadow Committee published three very important reports - 1926, 1931 and 1933.

These reports led to major changes in the structure of primary education. In particular, they resulted in separate and distinctive educational practise for children aged 5-7 (infants) and those aged 7-11 (juniors).

The Reports recommended child centred approaches and class sizes of no more than thirty. These recommendations marked a triumph of 'progressive' educational thought and practise over the more 'traditional' ideas and proved to be popular with many policy makers and teachers alike.