Records of the National Association of Divisional Executives for Education

The archive contains material for: Federation of Part Three Authorities (MS 68/22): history of the annual meetings and the watching committee, 1932-6; rules, 1937; executive committee minutes and correspondence, 1932-45; financial papers, 1932-45; minutes and papers of annual meetings, 1932-45; correspondence with organisations and subject files, including post war planning (1941-5). Federation of Divisional Executives (MS 68/23): correspondence, 1945-6. Association of Divisional Executives (MS 68/24): correspondence, 1945-7. National Association of Divisional Executives for Education: inaugural meeting correspondence, 1946-7 (MS 68/1); minutes of the Association and its committees, 1947-74 (MS 68/2, 14); correspondence with organisations and local education authorities relating to school records, school meals, teachers' salaries, religious education, cinema clubs for children, road safety and handicapped children (MS 68/6-10); financial papers, 1947-73 (MS 68/12); correspondence and papers for NADEE conferences, 1947-73 (MS 68/16). Personal papers of Dr L.White: papers relating to his The story of Gosport (1964), including photographs, prints and pamphlets on the history of Portsmouth, notes, papers and a manuscript of 'The history of Gosport, showing how Portsmouth has influenced its development' by Violet Cobbett, 1939-40; wills, correspondence, etc., of the Biddle and Allen families, 18th to 20th centuries; five local deeds, 1633-1778; documents from the executors of George Taylor's estate, 1847-53; and an abstract of the title deeds of Mr Bowyer of Gosport.

The National Association of Divisional Executives for Education was the successor of the Federation of Part Three Authorities (so called after Part III of the Education Act 1902, which created councils of non-county boroughs with a population of 10,000 and of urban districts with a population of 20,000 the local education authorities for elementary education. The Part III authorities were abolished in 1945 under the 1944 Education Act, subsuming their functions within the authorities based on county councils and county boroughs, but preserving some of the substance of their form in the 'divisions' it created), and the short-lived Federation of Divisional Executives and Association of Divisional Executives in Education. Under the first schedule of the 1944 Education Act provision was made for areas of counties to be partitioned into divisions, in order to promote efficient and convenient administration of education, and for groups of people, known as 'divisional executives' to exercise on behalf of the local educational authority functions relating to primary, secondary and, in some instances, further education. A provisional executive committee of the National Association of Divisional Executives for Education met on 6 March 1947, with Dr Leonard F.W.White of Gosport as its secretary, a post he held until his death in 1973. The objects of the new association were the interchange of opinion, communication about education, correspondence and negotiations with the Ministry of Education, the County Councils Association and other bodies, action to protect the powers of members, and the defence of education in general. The executive committee held its last meeting on 24 April 1974.

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