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The Butler Act

Children drinking their free milk at school in 1955.

Children drinking their free milk at school in 1955.
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The Education Act - or 'Butler Act' - of 1944 promised 'secondary education for all'. The act attempted to achieve this goal by raising the school leaving age and dividing the all-age elementary education into primary and secondary schools.

Related documents

Key issues for reform

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Educational Reform. 13 July 1943 (PDF, 1.102MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Reconstruction. Note by the President of the Board of Education. Includes the draft White Paper. 9 July 1943 (PDF, 10.254MB)

The Education Bill

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Policy Committee 2nd Report. Memorandum by the President of the Board of Education. 15 July 1935 (PDF, 4.794MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Education Policy. 18 July 1935 (PDF, 2.293MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Policy. Memorandum by the President of the Board of Education. 22 November 1935 (PDF, 0.354MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Education. 2 December 1943 (PDF, 0.827MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Reconstruction. Memorandum by the President of the Board of Education. 3 December 1943 (PDF, 1.140MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Education Bill. 28 Mar 1944 (PDF, 0.576MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Raising the School Leaving Age. Memorandum by the Minister of Education. 16 August 1945 (PDF, 0.233MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Raising of the School Leaving Age. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Scotland. 16 August 1945 (PDF, 0.220MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Education: Raising of School Leaving Age. 23 August 1945 (PDF, 1.673MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Education: Raising the School Leaving Age. Memorandum by the Lord President of the Council. 1 September 1945 (PDF, 0.510MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Economic Survey for 1947: School Leaving Age. 16 January 1947 (PDF, 1.560MB)

The Education Act

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Policy Committee 1st Report. 1 February 1935 (PDF, 1.830MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 9. Education. 6 February 1935 (PDF, 2.965MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Policy Committee 2nd Report. Memorandum by the President of the Board of Education. 15 July 1935 (PDF, 4.794MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Education Policy. 18 July 1935 (PDF, 2.293MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Policy. Memorandum by the President of the Board of Education. 22 November 1935 (PDF, 0.773MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 11. Education Policy. 27 November 1935 (PDF, 3.832MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Educational Policy Committee 3rd Report. 25 January 1936 (PDF, 0.695MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 10. The Education Bill and the Education (Scotland) Bill. 29 January 1936 (PDF, 3.770MB)

Search using Butler Act Education Bill Controlled schools Raising the School Leaving Age

Further reading

Jones, K., Education in Britain 1944 to the Present (Oxford: Polity, 2003)
Gosden, P., The Education System since 1944 (Oxford: Robertson, 1983)
Simon, B., Education and the Social Order (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1991)

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