The Parliament passed the Fisher Act of 1918 on August 8, although the war had not then concluded. Fisher was the Chairman of the Education Board. This Act had a special place in the national system of education of the country.
This Act made elementary education free and emphasised the necessity of reorganising grant system, tuition fees and local education authorities. This Act accepted only that money as legal which was determined and accepted by the Education Board.
It was also decided that the local education authorities would receive at least fifty percent of their total expenditure as a grant. The local education authorities were empowered to initiate any plan of education and send it to the Education Board for approval.
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ADVERTISEMENTS:
In this plan the method of execution of powers by the various units and officers of education would have to be explained in order that the Board of Education might see as to what extent the provision of the Fisher Act have been honoured.
Thus with the prior approval of the Board of Education the local education authorities could organise school camp, physical education centre, school swimming pool, play-centres and day or evening centres of social and physical training.
The Fisher Act laid down that no child below the age of twelve years could be employed on wages anywhere. Rules for employing children over 12 years of age were prescribed. The local education authorities were directed to prescribe the maximum age limit for Day Continuation Schools and compulsory full time schooling.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
This age limit was respectively prescribed as 18 and 15. For boys and girls education was free till the age of 16 years in the Day Continuation schools and students had to attend the schools for 320 hours during the year.
The local education authorities were empowered to reduce 320 hours to 280 hours during the first seven years. This plan stressed the need for bringing the schools and workhouses nearer to each other, because the child while working in a work-house could receive education in a nearby continuation school.
The provisions of this Act could not be fully implemented because of the following reasons:
1. The teachers and school buildings were not sufficient in number.
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2. The industrialists had no sympathy with the education reforms initiated.
However, the Fisher Act drew the attention of the people to the importance of Nursery schools and day continuation schools. Due to this Act, the age limit for going to school was increased.