| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to amend and extend the provisions of the Law of Scotland on the subject of Education. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 35 & 36 Vict. c. 62 |
| Territorial extent | Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 6 August 1872 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | Statute Law Revision Act 1883 |
| Relates to | Elementary Education Act 1870 (E&W) |
| Text of the Education (Scotland) Act 1872 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Education (Scotland) Act 1872 (35 & 36 Vict. c. 62) made elementary education for all children between the ages of 5 and 13 mandatory in Scotland.[2]
The Act achieved a more thorough transfer of existing schools to a public system than the Elementary Education Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. 75) in England. It created popularly elected school boards which undertook a significant building programme.[3] The Scottish Act remains controversial because it caused substantial harm to the Scottish Gaelic language.[4][5] At the time it was criticised because it did not deal with secondary education and because it did too little to safeguard the tradition of the parish schools in Scotland.[6]
- ^ This short title was conferred on this Act by section 80 of this Act.
- ^ Corr, Helen (1990). People and Society in Scotland, II, 1830-1914, "An Exploration into Scottish Education". Edinburgh: John Donald. pp. 291–298. ISBN 0-859762114.
- ^ McCaffrey, John (1998). Scotland in the Nineteenth Century. London: Macmillan. pp. 65–66. ISBN 0333587537.
- ^ "1872 Education Act's impact on Gaelic to be explored". BBC News. August 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ Robertson, Boyd (2001). Gaelic: the Gaelic language in education in the UK. Leeuwarden: Mercator-Education.
- ^ Anderson, R. D. (1983). Education and Opportunity in Victorian Scotland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 107–111. ISBN 085224617X.