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The Act of 1870 provided
that :-
a. Elementary schools were to be built in all districts where efficient
schools were not
already provided by religious bodies.
b. The new schools were to be controlled by locally elected School Boards
which were
given power to levy rates to pay for them.
The Act was a
landmark in educational development because it created a nationwide
network of elementary schools. These schools at first did not provide
free education nor was elementary education compulsory. In 1880,however,
elementary education was made compulsory to the age of ten and in 1891
it was made free. In 1899,the school leaving age was raised to twelve,
to fourteen in 1918,to fifteen in 1944 and finally to sixteen in 1972.
William Morris, one of the ten assistants appointed for the Lingen Report,1846,which later became known as the Treason of the Blue Books, made the following entry about LLANGAIN on 16 November,1846:-
The Rev. John Thomas, curate of this parish, said, "that there was no day and only one Sunday school in the parish. The parish clerk had given up the day school because he was not sufficiently remunerated for conducting it and was then a labourer, though a good scholar and quite capable of keeping a school. The schoolroom in which the school was held was used by the parishioners to put up their horses when going to church, there being no stable for the purpose - a schoolroom was very much wanted for the parish. There was a great desire for education among the people, but they were too poor and a schoolmaster could not subsist unless he had a stipend from the government or some other source. The rate of wages had lately risen very much."
James Owen, a labourer who was working on the road said, "that day labourers were getting from 9d. to 1s.(5p) a day with victuals(food provisions); farm servants from £10 to £15 a year; and female servants from £3-10s. to £5 a year. There was a great desire among the working people to get education for their children. The people were quiet and steady; but there was an increase of drunkenness with the advanced rate of wages."
The Rev.William James, minister of Smyrna Chapel (between 1835 and 1862) said,"that commodious schoolrooms and able teachers were very much wanted in the country, as all classes wished to give their children some amount of education; that wages had advanced greatly and that 1s. a day with victuals now was the common rate..................Owing to the increase of wages, he was afraid that drunkenness also was on the increase."
