IT'S back to school and a new term for youngsters after the summer break and today Bygones takes a brief look at the history of education.

During the Middle Ages, schools were established to teach Latin grammar to the sons of the aristocracy, as part of preparation for the entry of some into the clergy and religious orders - and it led to the growth of two historic universities, Oxford and then Cambridge.

By the 19th century, as cotton weaving and spinning grew rapidly in East Lancashire, it was the Church of England which sponsored most formal education, offering schooling for poor families between seven and 11, which were generally known as National Schools.

The church played a big part in the life of many families at this time and by the 1830s, Sunday School was ministering weekly to thousands of children - and because they preceded the first state funding of schools, they are sometimes seen as the forerunner to our present educational system.

Indeed, by 1833, Parliament voted to spend sums of money each year, to build schools for poor children - the first time the state had become involved with education.

A meeting in Manchester in 1837 led to the creation of the Lancashire Public Schools' Association, which proposed that non-denominational schools should be funded from local taxes.

Ragged Schools dedicated to the free education of destitute children were established during the 1840s and 1850s and Blackburn's own ragged school played a huge part, not only in the education of youngsters, but drew thousands of worshippers to Sunday services and the various societies which were subsequently formed.

State funded schools, run by local boards were set up in 1870, and it meant compulsory attendance ceased to be a matter for local option.

Children, between the ages of five and 10 had to attend, but for poorer families, ensuring their children attended school proved difficult, as it was more tempting to send them working if the opportunity to earn an extra income was available.

Attendance officers often visited the homes of children who failed to attend school, which often proved to be ineffective.

Children under the age of 13 who were employed were required to have a certificate to show they had reached the educational standard.

The school leaving age was slowly raised to 11, then 13 and from April 1900 higher elementary schools were recognised, providing education from the age of 10 to 15.

Two years later there was a radical change to the entire educational system - ending the divide between schools run by the school boards and the church schools, administered primarily by the Church of England, which educated about a third of students.

Local Education Authorities were established, which were able to set local tax rates.

In 1918 secondary education became compulsory up to the age of 14, but also included provision for compulsory part-time education for all 14- to 18-year-olds - but was not implemented until 1921, after the First World War.

The Education Act of 1944 was an answer to the social and educational demands created by the Second World War and the widespread demands for social reform.

It defined the modern split between primary education and secondary education at age 11 and also established the 'tripartite system', consisting of grammar schools, secondary modern schools and secondary technical schools.