MCC , Middlesex County Council x Middlesex County Council

The Education Department of the Middlesex County Council may be described as one of the most important, progressive and vital public services provided by the council throughout its history. The Middlesex Education Authority, following its inception in 1903, stood as a pioneer in numerous aspects of its work. Previously various attempts had been made to provide public education, since the passing of legislation in 1870. Before 1870 schools were run as private concerns including small private schools and dame schools, the endowed grammar schools, and the beginning of the development of the Public Schools, and for the very poor there existed schools run by religious organisations.

Forster's Education Act of 1870 marked a watershed in the history of English education. It was based on the principle of elementary education for all. It aimed 'to cover the country with good schools and to get the parents to send the children to the schools', and principally to provide instruction in basic literacy and numeracy until the age of 12. The Act provided for the division of England and Wales into school districts. Wherever surveys showed that existing voluntary schools could not provide enough places for all the school age children within their districts, the ratepayers elected school boards, which were required to supplement the existing schools with (what became known as) Board Schools. Funds to build and maintain were to come from fees, government grants and the rates. This was the starting point of local responsibility for education expenditure, and of the partnership of central and local authorities.

School Boards were abolished by the 1902 Education Act and replaced by Local Education Authorities (LEAs), which were, in effect, the county councils or county borough councils. They were given charge of all elementary and much secondary education throughout the country. Not until the 1944 Butler Act did the over-riding responsibility for all stages of education lie with the county council.

The Technical Education Committee of the Middlesex County Council was established following the passing of the 1889 Technical Instruction Act and 1891 Technical Instruction (Amendment) Act. The National Association for Technical and and Secondary Education sponsored the Acts to provide impetus for meeting deficiencies in the existing provision of technical and secondary education. The Acts empowered the (new) county councils to set up Technical Education Committees, to raise money through the rates for technical and secondary education, to give financial aid to institutions and to provide scholarships and exhibitions to students.

The Middlesex Technical Education Committee was one of the first such committees to be established. It's first meeting was held on 28th April 1892 under the chairmanship of Mr Littler (Chairman of the Council). Local Committee Districts were established together with a scheme to provide scholarships for boys to go to secondary schools/. Over the next decade the Technical Education Committee was responsible for establishing polytechnics, institutes, and secondary schools, and became heavily involved in their running. The curriculum's of the schools were also widened, and in 1899 the Committee became the authority for science and art classes in the county. Provision was also made for Middlesex scholars to attend schools and institutes outside of the county.

The Technical Education Committee was merged into the newly created Education Committee in May 1903. The formers work had been vital in establishing the high standard of secondary and technical education in Middlesex.