Catalogue description Ministry of Education: Schools Branch: Precedent Folders

The majority of these precedent folders contain papers arranged according to the relevant section of the 1944 Act, or to the other legislation or regulations to which they refer. There are also a number of folders containing memoranda on specific subjects, arranged alphabetically: these constitute ED 190/6-10.

The nature and scope of the changes brought about by the 1944 Act were such that, in the years following the date of its implementation (1 April 1945), there arose many questions of interpretation and practice which were not adequately covered by the available guidance.

A record was therefore kept within Schools Branch of these matters of doubt or difficulty and the decisions taken on them (either by that branch or, perhaps, by Legal Branch), in order that such cases could be referred to again if and when similar questions were raised at a later date. A body of information was thus collected to serve as 'precedents' for the future. It is believed that, to qualify as a true 'precedent', the subject case had to be referred up to at least Assistant Secretary level.