| AdminHistory | The Education Scheme Committee was appointed in February 1903 to prepare and submit a scheme to the Council for constituting an Education Committee under the provisions of the Education Act of 1902, and to advise the Council as to the date on which the Act should come into effect in the City of Birmingham. It was resolved at the first meeting on 9 February 1903 that the new committee should take over the work of the existing Industrial Schools Committee (see BCC/1/BB) and Technical Schools Committee (see BCC/1/BC). The functions of the Museum and School of Art Committee (see BCC/1/BA) were also supposed to be transferred to the new committee, but at the next meeting of the Education Scheme Committee it was agreed it would remain as constituted.
The new Education Committee originally comprised 27 members and the Lord Mayor, although this had risen to 33 on the advice of committee members by the time of its first meeting. Individual members were recommended by Birmingham University, the governors of the King Edward VI Grammar School, the Church Schools Board of Education for the Archdeaconry of Birmingham, Birmingham’s Roman Catholic Schools, and the Birmingham and Midland Institute. In addition there were to be three women members, four members from the existing Birmingham School Board, and one artisan member of the existing Technical School Committee. It was finally decided that the first meeting would be held on 16 April 1903. The committee presented a report of the scheme back to the Council on 3 March 1903, after which the Education Committee was formally appointed (see BCC/1/BH Education Committee minutes). |