LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITIES AND TEACHERS IN ENGLAND.

The article focuses on the role of local education authorities and teachers in education in Great Britain. Inspectability is an awkward, intractable word--not unlike inspection itself, some would add. Freedom from external inspection is, in fact, often taken to be the hallmark of university freedom in Great Britain. By "teacher" is understood, in this case, a teacher in a school maintained by the local education authority. Teachers in direct grant and independent schools are thus excluded. By "local authority" is meant any or all of the 62 County Councils and 83 County Borough Councils in England and Wales. It is the duty of local education authorities, under the 1944 Act, to provide for the physical, mental, moral and spiritual development of children in their areas of compulsory school age (at present from five to 15 years of age). Such education should be in accordance with the age, aptitude and ability of the child. The Minister of Education's job is to ensure that the local authority does this; but, within its own terms of reference under the Act, a local education authority, has wide power of policy-decision and its implementing.