It created popularly elected school boards which undertook a significant building programme.

[4][5] At the time it was criticised because it did not deal with secondary education and because it did too little to safeguard the tradition of the parish schools in Scotland.

Although this compared favourably with the situation in England, with 14% more children in education and with relatively low illiteracy rates of between 10 and 20%, similar to those in the best-educated nations such as those in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Scandinavia, the report was used as support for widespread reform.

This was enforced by the School Attendance Committee, while the boards busied themselves with building to fill the gaps in provision.

[10] Demand for places was high and for a generation after the act there was overcrowding in many classrooms, with up to 70 children being taught in one room.