| Description | Education Commission 1858 - 61 ("The Newcastle Commission"). Commissioned (by royal warrant) of 30 June 1858 to report in 1860, a year's extension was authorised in 1859. Terms of reference: To enquire into the present state of popular education in England, and to consider and report what measures if any are required for the extension of sound and cheap elementary instruction to all classes of people. Chairman Sir Henry Pelham, Duke of Newcastle. 6 Commissioners. Quantitative data obtained from voluntary agencies. Reports on schools from 1839 onwards were examined.
Commissioners reported on steady extension of day school provision which had taken place since the beginning of the 19th C. Commissioners calculated that only 120 305 children in England and Wales were without any form of education.
573 536 children were on the books of private schools, and 1 549 312 on the books of public elementary schools of the religious societies.
In 1858 the BFSS obtained detailed information from its schools to submit to the Newcastle Commission on Elementary Education. The printed forms on which information was supplied, are arranged by county. The returns give the number of boys, girls and infants attending each school, although the figures must be read with caution owing to the brief and erratic attendance of many pupils. The returns also include the number of teachers, pupil-teachers and monitors, and provide brief information about the sources of financial support, eg voluntary donations, wealthy patron. Nothing is recorded about the curriculum or names of pupils. The Archives do not have returns for every British school - some schools did not supply the information at the time and some forms have not survived.
See also http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/newcastle1861/index.html (external link) |