Collection LCC/EO/TRA - EDUCATION OFFICER'S DEPARTMENT: TRAINING OF TEACHERS

Identity area

Reference code

LCC/EO/TRA

Title

EDUCATION OFFICER'S DEPARTMENT: TRAINING OF TEACHERS

Date(s)

  • 1903-1976 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

9.18 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

When the London County Council became a local education authority it became the largest employer of teachers in the country. In 1902 it had established the London Day Training College in association with the University of London. In 1932 this College passed to the control of the University and became the Institute of Education. The Council founded six emergency training colleges after the Second World War. These colleges were meant to help solve some of the urgent post war problems, offering a one-year course of training, and were closed by 1951.

The decision of the Minister of Education in 1957 to extend the course of teacher training from two to three years led to expansion in the provision of places. Several training colleges in London were enlarged and a new day-training college for mature students (Sidney Webb College) was opened in 1961. In the same year the Council undertook responsibility for the maintenance of two voluntary colleges, one specialising in physical education and the other in training for primary education. By 1964 the Council was administering nine training colleges, all of them constituent colleges of the University of London Institute of Education.

It became clear from 1960 onwards that despite the increased numbers coming from training colleges, the shortage of primary school teachers was likely to become even more acute, largely because the earlier average age of marriage was causing women teachers to leave the profession in greater numbers. The increased birth-rate from 1954 onwards also accentuated the demand for primary teachers. The Council therefore took the initiative in seeking primary school staff from other sources, and started a series of short courses designed to attract into primary teaching married women graduates who had no teaching experience. At about the same time a vigorous publicity campaign was launched by the Council to increase the use of part-time teachers in primary and secondary schools. The Council's efforts met with considerable success, and in the recruitment of part-time teachers other local education authorities followed this example.

The Froebel Society for the Promotion of the Kindergarten System was founded in 1874 in order to provide courses of training for nursery teachers and a recognition and inspection facility for nursery schools. In 1887 the Society created a separate body, the National Froebel Union, in order to validate examinations and set standards for the Froebel Teacher's Certificate. In 1938 the two bodies united to form the National Froebel Foundation.

Archival history

LCC/EO/TRA 1903-1976 Collection 9.18 linear metres LCC , London County Council x London County Council

When the London County Council became a local education authority it became the largest employer of teachers in the country. In 1902 it had established the London Day Training College in association with the University of London. In 1932 this College passed to the control of the University and became the Institute of Education. The Council founded six emergency training colleges after the Second World War. These colleges were meant to help solve some of the urgent post war problems, offering a one-year course of training, and were closed by 1951.

The decision of the Minister of Education in 1957 to extend the course of teacher training from two to three years led to expansion in the provision of places. Several training colleges in London were enlarged and a new day-training college for mature students (Sidney Webb College) was opened in 1961. In the same year the Council undertook responsibility for the maintenance of two voluntary colleges, one specialising in physical education and the other in training for primary education. By 1964 the Council was administering nine training colleges, all of them constituent colleges of the University of London Institute of Education.

It became clear from 1960 onwards that despite the increased numbers coming from training colleges, the shortage of primary school teachers was likely to become even more acute, largely because the earlier average age of marriage was causing women teachers to leave the profession in greater numbers. The increased birth-rate from 1954 onwards also accentuated the demand for primary teachers. The Council therefore took the initiative in seeking primary school staff from other sources, and started a series of short courses designed to attract into primary teaching married women graduates who had no teaching experience. At about the same time a vigorous publicity campaign was launched by the Council to increase the use of part-time teachers in primary and secondary schools. The Council's efforts met with considerable success, and in the recruitment of part-time teachers other local education authorities followed this example.

The Froebel Society for the Promotion of the Kindergarten System was founded in 1874 in order to provide courses of training for nursery teachers and a recognition and inspection facility for nursery schools. In 1887 the Society created a separate body, the National Froebel Union, in order to validate examinations and set standards for the Froebel Teacher's Certificate. In 1938 the two bodies united to form the National Froebel Foundation.

Acquired with the records of its parent body, the London County Council.

Records of the London County Council Education Officer's Department relating to teacher training, 1903-1976.

Subject and policy files on a variety of topics including the Departmental Committee on the Training of Teachers; relations between the Universities and Training Colleges; the Central Consultative Committee of Headmasters and Headmistresses; training of art teachers; training of teachers of the blind; training of teachers of building; training of teachers of the deaf; training of domestic economy teachers; training of teachers of educationally sub-normal children; physical training in LCC Training Colleges; arrangements during the Second World War; Emergency Training Colleges; Senior County Teachers' Scholarships; statistics; National Froebel Union (later Foundation); University of Cambridge Certificate of Education; grants regulations; supply and training of teachers for technical colleges; introduction of the three-year teacher training course.

Subject files relating to individual LCC Training Colleges and individual Training Colleges not maintained by the LCC, including papers on buildings, equipment, expansions, reorganisations and closures, staffing, establishment of courses, arrangements and evacuation during Second World War, transfer of colleges to University of London, correspondence, syllabi, pamphlets, prospectuses, college magazines, policies, grants and fees, inspections, Governor's meeting minutes, Students' Union meeting minutes, Staff-Student Consultative Committee minutes, Staff Meetings and Academic Board meeting minutes (please see catalogue for full list of the individual colleges).

Also sample sets of applicants' case-papers for the Loan Fund for Prospective Teachers; sample sets of personal files of Training College students; reports from Annual Conferences of Teachers; handbooks from the Nuffield Foundation Science Teaching Project; sample certificates and student report and record books; National Froebel Union regulations, examination papers and reports of examiners; 'The Government of Maintained Training Colleges', LCC pamphlet (1953).

LCC/EO/TRA/01: Subject and policy files; LCC/EO/TRA/02-03: Training Colleges; LCC/EO/TRA/04: Minutes; LCC/EO/TRA/05: General.

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Copyright: City of London
English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

The Archive of the Institute of Education, University of London, can be contacted at 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL. The National Froebel Foundation Archive is held at Roehampton University Archives and Special Collections, University Library, Roehampton Lane, London, SW15 5SZ.

For further information on the history of the LCC please see Achievement: A Short History of the London County Council by W Eric Jackson (1965), LMA Library reference 18.0 1965, The London County Council 1938, LMA Library reference 18.7 SER 4, and The Youngest County: A description of London as a county and its public services, 1951, LMA Library reference 18.0 1951.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. April to June 2009 Secondary teacher education Educational institutions Schools Higher education institutions Vocational schools Teacher education schools Preprimary teacher education Primary teacher education People People by occupation Personnel Educational personnel Teachers Technical teacher education Educational personnel training Teacher education Special teacher education Education LCC , London County Council x London County Council Education Committee , London County Council Education Officer , London County Council Froebel Society University of London Nuffield Foundation Science Teaching Project London England UK Western Europe Europe

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Acquired with the records of its parent body, the London County Council.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the London County Council Education Officer's Department relating to teacher training, 1903-1976.

Subject and policy files on a variety of topics including the Departmental Committee on the Training of Teachers; relations between the Universities and Training Colleges; the Central Consultative Committee of Headmasters and Headmistresses; training of art teachers; training of teachers of the blind; training of teachers of building; training of teachers of the deaf; training of domestic economy teachers; training of teachers of educationally sub-normal children; physical training in LCC Training Colleges; arrangements during the Second World War; Emergency Training Colleges; Senior County Teachers' Scholarships; statistics; National Froebel Union (later Foundation); University of Cambridge Certificate of Education; grants regulations; supply and training of teachers for technical colleges; introduction of the three-year teacher training course.

Subject files relating to individual LCC Training Colleges and individual Training Colleges not maintained by the LCC, including papers on buildings, equipment, expansions, reorganisations and closures, staffing, establishment of courses, arrangements and evacuation during Second World War, transfer of colleges to University of London, correspondence, syllabi, pamphlets, prospectuses, college magazines, policies, grants and fees, inspections, Governor's meeting minutes, Students' Union meeting minutes, Staff-Student Consultative Committee minutes, Staff Meetings and Academic Board meeting minutes (please see catalogue for full list of the individual colleges).

Also sample sets of applicants' case-papers for the Loan Fund for Prospective Teachers; sample sets of personal files of Training College students; reports from Annual Conferences of Teachers; handbooks from the Nuffield Foundation Science Teaching Project; sample certificates and student report and record books; National Froebel Union regulations, examination papers and reports of examiners; 'The Government of Maintained Training Colleges', LCC pamphlet (1953).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

LCC/EO/TRA/01: Subject and policy files; LCC/EO/TRA/02-03: Training Colleges; LCC/EO/TRA/04: Minutes; LCC/EO/TRA/05: General.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright: City of London

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The Archive of the Institute of Education, University of London, can be contacted at 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL. The National Froebel Foundation Archive is held at Roehampton University Archives and Special Collections, University Library, Roehampton Lane, London, SW15 5SZ.

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area