The Elementary Education Act established school boards in England and Wales in 1870. The Act, commonly called Forster’s Education Act, created a framework for expanding elementary education where existing church and voluntary schools did not provide enough places.
Local areas first assessed the number of children and the available school accommodation. If provision was judged insufficient, an elected school board could be formed. Boards could raise money through local rates, build and operate “board schools,” support some existing schools, and pay fees for children whose families could not afford them.
The Act did not immediately make education universally free or compulsory, a common misunderstanding. Boards could introduce attendance by-laws in their districts, but nationwide compulsory attendance came through the Elementary Education Act 1880. Free elementary education followed in 1891.
School boards also reflected Victorian religious and political tensions. Their schools were intended to be non-denominational, while voluntary schools were often connected to Anglican or other religious bodies. The system expanded substantially before the Balfour Education Act 1902 abolished the boards and transferred their responsibilities to local education authorities.