The beginning of State education

Portsmouth was one of the first areas in Hampshire to set up a School Board following the passage of the Elementary Education Act in 1870. Board members were local people directly elected by voters each having as many votes as there were places to fill. In Portsmouth 11 new elementary schools were built in 1870 – New Road, Cottage Grove, Swan Street, Flying Bull Lane, Eastney Road, Fratton Street, Kent Street, Church Street, Conway Street, Albert Road and Portsmouth Town. This great period of exertions was followed by a slack period in the next decade, due in part to the growing dissatisfaction of rate payers over the greatly increasing expenditure on education. In fact, the Education Department threatened to stop Government Grants altogether if the Portsmouth Board did no spur itself on to greater activity. Portsmouth Records Office I162