The romantic and radical nature of the 1870 Education Act.

Explores the philosophical and political antecedents of three of the principal actors behind the 1870 Education Act of Great Britain. Impact of the Education Act on the history of English and Welsh education; State's role in education provision; Personal, political and ideological cohesion among educators William Forster, Earl de Gray and Ripon and Henry Austin Bruce; Issues surrounding the creation of the law.