ABSTRACT
Alec Clegg drew very consciously in his public speeches from prior theorists and practitioners whose life pursuits had enabled him to recognise and connect with the more adventurous teachers he encountered in public or state schools. Simply put, certain principles that address the responsibility of any community to educate its young in order to survive and thrive collectively, regardless of political or economic circumstances, return and will continue to return. The scale of the West Riding and its resources provided opportunities of which Clegg took full advantage, and the exceptional context of national post-war reconstruction and educational expansion was one that clearly facilitated fulfilment of his ambitions. Clegg’s realistic understanding of local education services, and his deep empathy with disadvantaged youth, conjured a pessimistic mood on his retirement from office. There are both local and international dimensions to Clegg’s legacy that call for recognition.
