Social Reform 1868-1885 (to 1906)

What was the general background/reasoning behind the social reforms of 1868-1885?

Model Trade Unions had grown and proved themselves to Gladstone through self-help, demands for education reforms (National Education League pressure group), some modern liberalism (just a bit)

Main three acts for education reform during 1868-1885?

1870 Education Act, 1876 Education Act, 1871 Universities Act

1870 Education Act (Forster Act):

Introduces school boards which can raise local rates to fund education, attempts to give more children in the UK basic education

1876 Education Act:

Banned children under 10 from being employed, est. school attendance committees to ensure that compulsory education is being enforced

1871 Universities Act:

It abolished religious tests for Oxbridge entrance (EVAL- the w/c aren't even making it past lower school anyway)

Main three acts for trade union reform during 1868-1885?

1871 Trade Unions Act, 1871 Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1875 Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act

1871 Trade Unions Act:

Recognises trade unions as legal entities which helps reverse the effects of Hornsby v Close which said the opposite and stopped trade union funds from being legally protected

1871 Criminal Law Amendment Act:

This made even the most elementary forms of picketing illegal (emasculated trade unions greatly)

1875 Conspiracy and Protection of Property Act:

Conservative reform: This brought back PEACEFUL picketing

Main two acts for public health during 1868-1885:

1871 Public Health Act, 1874 Public Health Act

1871 Public Health Act:

Set up sanitary authorities in local areas-- local government reform follows this act -- BUT very unimpactful due to no funding, little enforcement power

1874 Public Health Act:

Tidied up the 1871 Act by improving public health a bit more- e.g compulsory vaccination was introduced for smallpox-- actually effective --introduces public health boards

Main housing act during 1868-1885?

Passed under Disraeli: 1875 Artisans Dwelling Act

1875 Artisans Dwelling Act

A permissive act allowing local authorities to clear slums and build better housing

How many school board schools are there by 1880?

3000

By how much did the number of children in education increase from 1870-1880?

Doubled

Example of a local authority making use of the 1875 Artisans Dwelling Act:

Chamberlain used it in Birmingham

By 1881 how many towns had made use of the 1875 Artisans Dwelling Act:

Only 10 towns

How many more children were in VOLUNTARY (church) schools as opposed to the school board schools established by the 1870 Education Act?

500,000 more

What percentage of children continue education after the age of 10? (1868-1885)

20%

Main two acts for workplace reform during 1868-1885?

1875 Employers and Workmen Act, the Factory Acts 1874/1878

What did the Factory Acts 1874/1878 do?

Reduced the working day length from 10.5hrs to 10hrs

What did the 1875 Employers and Workmen Act do?

It meant that both the employer and employee would be subject to civil law for breaking the terms of a contract-- balances out the fact that before this only the worker was subject to criminal law and not the employer

Were ideas of laissez-faire, retrenchment etc held JUST by the Liberal party?

NO-- Liberals and Conservatives show evidence of this

Which parliamentary commission influenced the 1870 Education Act?

Newcastle Commission-- looked into whether or not the government were getting value for money with educational grants (motivated by being economical, not by improving the system)

Who led the National Education League and what were their demands?

Liberal MP Chamberlain-- they wanted education to be free, national and non-denominatonal, compulsory-- they were a group dominated by non-conformists

Were the NEL overall successful in their aims?

Not really-- voluntary schools remain, fees remain

Were fees an entirely disastrous element of the British educational system?

No, only the VERY poor could not pay fees

What was Chamberlain's 'unauthorised programme'?

A radical reform programme which proposed universal male suffrage, salaries for MPs, free primary education, progressive taxation, compulsory slum clearance-- these ideas remained on the periphery of the Liberal party though, don't come to fruition

What did the 1891 Education Act achieve?

It was written by Chamberlain and increased the grants for education-- meaning that fees were no longer necessary for the first time

What did the 1902 Education Act do?

It abolished the school boards and replaced them with LEAs which were controlled by local councils-- they hoped with would lead to greater spending discipline ALSO introduces some (limited) technical education

What was the state of British education by 1902?

A national education system was established

Who lobbied for Disraeli to pass his Public Health Act 1874?

Sir John Simon and other scientists

What did the two public health acts focus on?

Addresses epidemics and avoiding them, NOT offering healthcare or support-- the system remained localised and uneven across the UK

Why were non-conformists discontented with the education system before 1870?

They were excluded from education because it was dominated by Anglican schools and they did not align with their views

Out of the 85 local authorities, how many used the Artisans Dwelling Act?

Only 10 out of 85 used it-- permissive

What fraction of Boer War recruits in Manchester were turned away on health grounds?

2/3 were turned away-- shows that by biometric standards living conditions did not improve