The Clarendon Commission was a
royal commission established in 1861 to investigate the state of nine
leading schools in England, in the wake of complaints about the finances, buildings, and management of
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
. It was chaired by the
4th Earl of Clarendon. The commission sat until 1864, when its report was published with general recommendations on questions of curriculum and governance. The Clarendon Report gives a detailed picture of life in the nine schools. As a consequence of its publication, the
Public Schools Act
Public Schools Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used in Manitoba, New South Wales and the United Kingdom for legislation relating to public schools.
List Manitoba
*The Public Schools Act, CCSM c P25 New South Wales
* Public School ...
was passed in 1868.
Scope
The commission's
terms of reference
Terms of reference (TOR) define the purpose and structures of a project, committee, meeting, negotiation, or any similar collection of people who have agreed to work together to accomplish a shared goal.
Terms of reference show how the object in ...
were: "To inquire into the nature and application of the Endowments, Funds and Revenue belonging to or received by the hereinafter mentioned Colleges, Schools and Foundations; and also to inquire into the administration and management of the said Colleges, Schools and Foundations". The nine schools comprised seven boarding schools (
Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England.
Eton may also refer to:
Places
*Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England
* Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States
* Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...
,
Charterhouse
Charterhouse may refer to:
* Charterhouse (monastery), of the Carthusian religious order
Charterhouse may also refer to:
Places
* The Charterhouse, Coventry, a former monastery
* Charterhouse School, an English public school in Surrey
Londo ...
,
Harrow,
Rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
,
Shrewsbury,
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
, and
Winchester) and two day schools (
St Paul's and
Merchant Taylors'). However, the 1868 act concerned itself only with the seven boarding schools.
In the concluding paragraphs of the report, fulsome praise was given to the nine schools:
See also
*
George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon
George William Frederick Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon, (12 January 180027 June 1870) was an English diplomat and statesman from the Villiers family.
He served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs three times as part of a distinguishe ...
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*
*
*
1861 establishments in the United Kingdom
1861 in education
British Royal Commissions
Education in England
{{UK-gov-stub