1870

Event dated 1 July 1870

Education Act Introduces School Boards

Poet involved

What happened

The Education Act of 1870, also known as Forster's Education Act, was a landmark piece of legislation in England and Wales that established compulsory elementary education. This Act created school boards to oversee the establishment of schools, ensuring that children received a basic education regardless of their social class. It was a pivotal moment in the development of the modern education system, laying the foundation for future educational reforms and access to learning.

Literary impact

The Education Act of 1870 introduced school boards that expanded literacy across England, fostering a new generation of poets from working-class backgrounds, such as Thomas Hardy and A.E. Housman, who infused their works with social realism and the struggles of everyday life.

Source: Wikipedia

Poets alive in 1870

198 poets

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