Catalogue description Board of Education: Medical Branch: Local Education Authority Social and Physical Training, Files

Under counties, including Part III authorities and county boroughs in England and Wales. Where a separate file was created to house camp arrangement material this has been indicated accordingly.

Section 17 of the Education Act, 1918, re-enacted as section 86 of the Education Act, 1921, gave local education authorities the power to promote social and physical training supplementing the instruction provided for children attending public elementary schools, and for persons over the age of eighteen attending educational institutions. This section was subsequently amended to include persons of any age, and not necessarily attending educational institutions.

Local education authorities who took up their powers under section 86 of the Education Act, 1921 made widely divergent provision. A few examples are evening swimming instruction, visits to theatres and music festivals, school camps and school journeys (which in the London area especially were organised on a large scale), the acquisition and equipping of buildings and playing fields (which in some cases included the provision of class rooms to enable educational instruction to be continued at sports grounds remote from schools).

Applications under Section 86 of Education Act, 1921 were for approval of arrangements only, and in most cases required HM Inspectors approval in minute or report form.