School boards in England and Wales

School boards were ad hoc public bodies in England and Wales between 1870 and 1902, which established and administered elementary schools. Creation The Elementary Education Act 1870 permitted the creation of school boards in areas where they were needed. The legislation followed campaigning by George Dixon, Joseph Chamberlain and the National Education League for elementary education free from Anglican doctrine. Education was still not free of fees. The first schedule of the 1870 act permitted school boards for: the Metropolitan Board of Works area the district of the Oxford Local Board of Health every municipal borough, except Oxford every civil parish (or part of civil parish) that was outside of the above Around 2,500 school boards were created between 1870 and 1896.