Catalogue description Board of Education and predecessor: Elementary Education, Institution School Files

Section 15 of the Education Act, 1902 (re-enacted as Section 25 of the Education Act, 1921) defined Institution Schools as "....... any marine school, or any school which is part of, or is held in the premises of, any institution in which children are boarded ......."l. The 1944 Education Act contains no provision corresponding to Section 25 of the Education Act, 1921, but Section 100(1)(b) of the Education Act, 1944 gives the minister power to continue payments previously made.

A Local Education Authority was at liberty to maintain such schools in order to include them in its provision for public elementary education, in which case the schools were "....... subject to the provisions of this Act as to the appointment of managers, or as to control by the local education authority." Its refusal to do so, however, did not prevent the managers of voluntary institutions from continuing to receive a Parliamentary grant, which consisted of annual and fee grants, based on average attandance. Under Grant Regulation 3 of the Education Act, 1918, these grants were converted to one consolidated grant, with increases for suitable provisions in practical instruction.

Many institution schools have ceased to exist. They have either become public elementary schools maintained by the local education authorities, or closed and the children transferred to local schools.