ABSTRACT
Among the most important provisions of the 1902 Act were those which gave local education authorities the power to set up their own secondary schools, and to take over existing grammar schools where the necessary agreement could be reached with the governors. The policy of the Board of Education was to encourage future teachers to receive a general education in a secondary school to the age of 16 before beginning their specialised teacher-training course. Even with the new secondary school, the problems of secondary education in Leicester were by no means solved. These were very similar to those of the endowed grammar schools elsewhere. The provision of scholarships was of great importance in the development of secondary education. But, although the waste of talent had been lessened, it had certainly not been stopped altogether. Not every child took the examination—only those whose parents applied or whose teachers thought they had a good chance.
