Board of Education and successors: University Branch and Teachers Branch: Teacher...

ED 78

1924-1975

Board of Education and successors University Branch and Teachers Branch teacher training colleges files concerning the provision, maintenance and administration of teacher training colleges maintained by voluntary bodies, of colleges established by Local Education Authorities under the provisions of the Education Act 1902 and of a few university colleges providing similar training courses leading to a qualifying examination for recognition of students as certificated teachers.

Papers prior to 1932 relate only to hostels.

Many post Second World War papers are concerned with the establishment of emergency training colleges.

Pieces 639-676 encompass the 1960s period. This sample of files consists of the policy file for one college within each Area Training Organisation; a full set of files on a single specimen college, Wolverhampton Training College (Technical); and a few individual files of particular interest (pieces 647 and 674-676).

In general, the colleges are listed in alphabetical order under counties of England and Wales, this arrangement being repeated for successive record transfers.

Following publication of the Report of the Committee on Higher Education (the Robbins Committee) in 1963, the majority of teacher training colleges opted to rename themselves as 'colleges of education', which explains the introduction of this term into the series list.

For papers concerning the McNair Report on the Supply, Recruitment and Training of Teachers and Youth Leaders, 1944, see

Later files relating to Welsh institutions are in ED 217

R file series

Public Record(s)

English

• Board of Education, University Branch, 1910-1944
• Department of Education and Science, Teachers Branch, 1973-1983
• Department of Education and Science, Teachers Branch 2 (Training), 1964-1973
• Ministry of Education, Teachers Branch, 1944-1961
• Ministry of Education, Teachers Branch 2 (Training), 1961-1964

676 file(s)

Subject to 30 year closure

Topics

Conflict

Education

Operations, battles and campaigns

Few papers prior to 1932, other than those relating to hostels, have survived. For the 1960s period, just a sample of files has been preserved

The training colleges provided a two year combined course of general education and professional training leading to a qualifying examination for recognition of students as certificated teachers. Some colleges provided a third year course, either continuous or deferred, for selected students to continue study of particular subjects, whilst some offered a one year course of professional training for existing graduates. Certain colleges are associated with special types of training such as domestic science, handicraft, music, art, physical training and teaching the blind.

The expansion of the establishment of emergency training colleges became necessary when three factors combined to cause a large increase in demand for teacher training facilities, viz:The raising of the school leaving age to 15 under the 1944 Education Act (enforced in 1947).The implementation of the recommendations of the McNair Report on the Supply, Recruitment and Training of Teachers and Youth Leaders.The post-war increase in the birth rate.