The Forster Act, officially known as the Education Act of 1870, was a significant piece of legislation in the United Kingdom. It aimed to provide elementary education for all children, establishing a framework for public schooling. The act allowed local authorities to create school boards, which were responsible for building and managing schools in their areas, ensuring that education was accessible to children regardless of their social background. This act marked a pivotal shift in educational policy, moving towards compulsory education. It laid the groundwork for future reforms in the British education system, ultimately leading to the establishment of more structured and standardized schooling, which would benefit generations of children across the UK.