#OnThisDay 8 October 1906 the Free Education Act No. 12 was passed. This Act abolished fees in primary and superior public schools and gave a greater number of children access to education. Rates of student attendance in the years following 1906 in ‘Post Primary’ classes jumped from 708 in 1906 to 10,833 in 1910 (see NSW Department of Education, ‘Enrolments in government schools (1848-2015).’
Acknowledgement
- The Free Education Act No. 12, 1906 is available to view on the NSW Legislation website
- See the NSW Department of Education, History of New South Wales government schools website for ‘Enrolments in government schools (1848-2015)’
