- In the 19th century, education was only available to the middle and upper classes, as the working classes had no desire for their children to be educated. - In 1807, Samuel Whitbread proposed a bill for two years of mandatory education between ages 7-14 to reduce crime and poverty, but it was deemed too expensive. - Throughout the 19th century, there was a growing idea that general education for all masses was needed, driven by factors like industrialization and declining economic conditions. - Major reforms in the late 19th century expanded access to education, including the 1870 Education Act which established school boards and expanded access for all. - The 1944 Education Act established primary education and introduced the