1540-1630

New Welsh grammar schools founded, such as Ruthin in 1574 1588

The Bible, the crucial “textbook” for the nexttwo centuries, is translated into Welsh 1650

Sixty free Puritan schools are set up as a result of the Welsh Act for the Better Propagation of the Gospel 1674

The Welsh Trust opens the first of 300 schools, teaching reading, writing and the catechism - but in English to mostly Welsh-speaking people 1699-1737

Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge sets up schools in London and larger English towns - and 97 schools in Wales 1737

The first of 3,400 Circulating Schools established in Wales by Carmarthenshire vicar, Griffith Jones. Teaching is mainly from the Bible and in Welsh 1847

Report of the Commissioners into the State of Education in Wales. Still remembered in Wales as Brad y Llyfrau Gleision, the Treason of the Blue Books, because of its condemnation of all things Welsh 1872

Abeystwyth University College opens 1889

The Welsh Intermediate Education Act results in a network of state-sponsored intermediate or secondary schools- years before such schools were created in England 1893

The University of Wales receives its charter 1896

Government sets up the Central Welsh Board - a quasi-national body - to inspect and examine schools 1907

Welsh Department of the Board of Education established 1939

First Welsh language school opens in Aberystwyth 1950s

Anglesey is first authority to go fully comprehensive 1988

The Education Reform Act results in five sets of distinctive subject orders for Wales in the national curriculum. As a result, the Curriculum Cymreig (the curriculum for Wales) becomes statutory 1996

Eight Welsh local education authorities reorganised into 22 1999

New Welsh Assembly given power to develop and implement education policy 2000

General Teaching Council for Wales set up. First National Education Conference and Exhibition for Wales is held