Central Schools

Central Schools in the Higher Education System

Although in its later life St Gregory’s enjoyed ‘Technical’ and ‘Grammar’ school status, it began as a selective central school. The emergence of this type of post-primary education had been gradual and, even before the Elementary Education Act of 1870, there had been several attempts to provide children with further studies. The 1870 Act sought to establish elementary education on a national footing with compulsory education for children between the ages of five and thirteen years. There were six standards at first, but, in 1882, an extra standard known as “ex-seven” was introduced. Before many years had passed, even this proved inadequate and higher elementary schools came into their own.

Sir Philip Magnus lucidly put the argument for post-primary education in 1887 in giving evidence to the Cross Commission:

“Among the advantages of the grading of schools and the establishment of higher elementary schools may be mentioned the fact that by collecting together the élite from a large number of different schools better instruction can be provided than if the instruction is given to a few pupils in a large number of different schools. I think this is a strong reason for the establishment of higher elementary schools. For in these schools scientific instruction might be given in laboratories provided with suitable appliances, and drawing might be taught in rooms furnished with necessary models, and handicraft instruction might be given in workshops provided with the requisite tools. Great economy, I believe, would be effected by the collection of the best children from ordinary elementary schools in graded schools thus furnished.”

The central schools system came to London in the year 1911-12, and shortly afterwards Manchester followed with the institution of six central schools aimed to give education to children up to the age of sixteen years. The Fisher Education Act of 1918 further extended the direction of post-primary education by the means of selective and non-selective central schools. Selective central schools were establishments where children were accepted on taking an examination at about the age of eleven years. The Fisher Act had also fixed the school-leaving age at 14.

Non-selective central schools were those that accepted children as from Standard Five from other schools that had prepared the children to that level of distinction.

Central schools were designed to provide an education with a vocational bias towards commerce and industry. It was expected that pupils at central schools should attend full-time after they had reached school-leaving age, and be prepared to attend part-time classes after they had begun to earn their living. St Gregory’s was a selective central school, and as such was the first Catholic boys’ school of that type in Manchester.

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