It is a pity that the centenary of 1902 has been so muted as the Education Act put and end to the most extensive popular democratic control of schooling - or any other public service - that had been seen in England. The supporters of the School Boards were opposed to 'Rome on the rates' which New Labour seems keen on and this led to the most widespread act of civil resistance that probably the UK has ever experienced. Socialists, and others (see: Brehony, K. J. (1985). Popular control or control by experts? Schooling between 1880 and 1902. Crises in the British State 1880-1930. M. Langan and B. Schwarz, (Eds.) London, Hutchinson: 256-273) argued strongly in favour of 'popular' democracy or 'active citizenship'. This latter notion was potentially present on school governing bodies but was extinguished in favour of a view of citizens as agents of the State (see: Deem, R., K. J. Brehony, et al. (1995). Active citizenship and the Governing of Schools. Buckingham, Open University Press). Hunt's account of the growing tendency to run public services on business lines highlights the abandonement of any conception of democracy as an active practice in which citizens participate in decision making on issues that impact on their lives. Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Citizens in search of a political role