Public Expenditure 1870–1939 — Education, Libraries and Museums, Health and Welfare

The Education Act of 1870 started the process whereby the provision of basic education became the responsibility of each locality. The growth of public sector spending on education is shown in Figure 4.1. This legislation established a system of locally-elected school boards to deliver elementary education throughout England and Wales. A similar act passed in 1872 extended the legislation to Scotland. The Education Department in Whitehall, and the Scottish Education Department in Edinburgh supervised the activities of the school boards. School boards were re-elected every three years by cumulative vote, each elector having as many votes as there were seats available, and the elector had the right to distribute his/her votes in any way. The electoral roll excluded married women but included single women and widows who possessed the necessary property qualification. Single women and widows who possessed the requisite property qualification could also stand as candidates in school board elections. In the school board election in 1870 in London, two single women candidates each topped the vote in their respective divisions, while Dr Elizabeth Garrett secured more votes than any other candidate in the election. [Philpott, p.20] School boards were empowered to pass and enforce by-laws to compel attendance at school of all children aged from five to 13 years.