| AdminHistory | A grammar school had existed in Birmingham since the sixteenth century, following the granting of a charter by King Edward VI. The school was thus governed, until 1878, by 'twenty of the more discreet inhabitants' of the town, with vacancies filled at the initiative of the remaining governors. In this instance the school was effectively controlled by a conservative oligarchy that represented Birmingham's affluent, Anglican citizens. A report of 1864 by the Endowed Schools Commission found this situation unacceptable, noting that no Nonconformist, be they members of the Council or otherwise, had ever been a governor of the school.
The Council had made efforts to reform the system of election in both 1831 and 1842, when the governors tried to obtain Acts of Parliament; in both cases the Council petitioned against the bills, proposing to Parliament that additional clauses be added that the governors publish fully audited accounts, provide additional elementary schools, and allow the Council to elect five of the governors. The motion was defeated in Parliament, and the governors' bill became law, but local opposition dissuaded them from applying for another. In 1861 the Council introduced into the new Improvement Bill a clause to give the Mayor and ex-Mayor seats as governors, but was withdrawn in the face of opposition from the governors.
In 1864 attention turned back to the subject of grammar school reform, as a result of letters on the subject in the 'Birmingham Daily Post', and the appointment the Endowed Schools Commission (also known as the Duke of Newcastle's Commission) that year. A Grammar School Association was also formed that year, comprising diverse shades of religious and political opinion, calling for general reform of the system of admission for scholars, the election of governors, and the curriculum more generally. On 11 April 1865 the General Purposes Committee prepared a memorial to the Endowed School Commissioners urging reform of the school, but negotiations with the governors quickly broke down when it became clear they wanted to retain the system of self-election.
The governors and reformers presented evidence to the Commission, and a special report representing these views was presented to the Council on 21 August 1866, in which the commissioners took the view of the Council with regard to the principle of representative government. They proposed that the body of governors should be increased to 21 members, elected for five years, with ten elected by the Council, and the remainder by co-optation. They also demanded a broader reorganisation of the grammar school, founding more schools if necessary, although nothing was done until 1872, when the commissioners prepared a scheme for a new Birmingham School, governed by 24 members. The scheme foundered, and was shelved until 1875, when the Council passed a motion to reform the Birmingham Free Grammar School, vesting the power to elect governors firmly with the Council.
The Free Grammar School Bill Committee was established in January 1869. In November 1869 the committee changed its name to the Grammar School Committee, then to the Endowed Schools Committee in May 1870. In the meantime endeavours were also made to induce the Charity Commissioners to take the Council view, but the scheme they put before the Council in March 1877 was rejected on the grounds that it was unrepresentative and interfered with the long-standing system of free instruction.
In January 1878 the scheme prepared by the Charity Commissioners was laid before the House of Commons, with the Council petitioning members to grant amendments to the proposed bill in opposition to tuition fees and the self-elective (or 'co-optative') practises used to elect governors, as well as a clause granting rights to the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and London to elect a governor each. The scheme was approved by Parliament, and received the Royal assent on 16 March that year, fixing the number of governors at 21.
Eight of these were elected by the Council for six years. Meanwhile four were nominated by the three universities detailed above and the teachers on the Foundation, with the remainder elected by the governors themselves, all for terms of years. The scheme provided for the admission of scholars by competitive examination, of which up to a third paid no tuition or entrance fees. The system of educational instruction, subjects taught, and the appointment and qualifications of masters was also reformed, whilst the property of the school was vested in the local Charity Commissioners. The first governor elections of governors under the new system took place on 30 September 1878. |