This study, first published in 1979, analyses the attitude of various income and occupational groups to elementary schools both before and after the introduction of compulsory school attendance. It also discusses the efforts made by voluntary organisations to provide school meals, as well as examining the quality of the meals themselves, before the enactment of remedial legislation in the early twentieth century. This title will be of interest to students of history and education.

This set of 14 volumes, originally published between 1932 and 1995, amalgamates several topics on the history of education between the years 1800 and 1926, including women and education, education and the working-class, and the history of universities in the United Kingdom. This set also includes titles that focus on key figures in education, such as Samuel Wilderspin, Georg Kerschensteiner and Edward Thring. This collection of books from some of the leading scholars in the field provides a comprehensive overview of the subject and will be of particular interest to students of history, education and those undertaking teaching qualifications.

Vols. for 1898-1968 include a directory of publishers.