Evolution of Education in England: 19th and 20th Centuries
Education in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Education for the Poor in the Early 19th Century
At the beginning of the 19th century, there was no state-run education system in England.
- All schools were privately run.
- Parents had to arrange and pay for any schooling.
- Most children, especially those of poor parents, received little or no schooling.
Dame Schools
- These small schools were typically run by an older woman.
- They provided a place to leave children while parents were out to work.
- Education was limited to sewing, knitting, and reading the Bible.
- Small fees were required.
Charity Schools
- Run by religious charities, such as the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SPCK).
- Funded by public donations, resulting in unreliable income.
- Aimed to teach poor children obedience and acceptance of their place in society.
- Offered a low standard of education, including reading, writing, arithmetic, and memorizing the Bible.
Education for Girls
- Girls were often taught at home by a governess.
- Subjects included reading, writing, music, painting, and dancing.
- Mothers often assisted, especially in teaching sewing, cookery, and household management.
- Girls’ private boarding schools concentrated on good manners and behavior.
- The curriculum focused on skills needed to attract husbands and become good wives.
Public Schools
- Many public schools were established in the later Middle Ages.
- Attended by sons of the upper class, nobility, and some merchants and industrialists.
- Many pupils were sent far from home to attend these schools.
- Many teachers were Church of England clergymen, and the curriculum was similar to that of grammar schools.
- School discipline was often brutal, with harsh conditions and bullying.
Private Schools
- Mainly attended by children from the middle classes.
- Included girls’ boarding schools.
- Often badly run, with poorly educated teachers.
The 1870 Education Act
- By the 1860s, there was growing pressure to improve education.
- The 1867 Reform Act had given the right to vote to many working men, leading to the belief that they should be educated to vote responsibly.
- Trade unions were pressing for better education to meet the demands of industry.
- Fears existed that Britain’s industrial rivals were becoming better educated.
- The act did not replace the existing voluntary school system.
- School boards were set up in districts where there were no schools.
- These boards provided elementary schools for 5-10 year-olds.
- School attendance was not compulsory.
- Religious education in state schools consisted of simple Bible teaching.
The 1902 Education Act
- The need for elementary education for all children was recognized in the late 19th century.
- To keep up with the commercial rival Germany, there was a great need for secondary education by 1900.
- The Education Act of 1902 abolished all school boards.
- Local Education Authorities (LEAs), run by local councils, took over the responsibility for existing elementary schools.
- To attend secondary education, students had to win a scholarship, or their parents had to afford the fees.
- Many children were not able to attend secondary school.
- In 1918, the school leaving age was raised to 14, and these children remained in elementary school.
The 1944 Education Act
- Main terms: Fees were abolished in all state secondary schools.
- The school leaving age was raised to 15 in 1947 and to 16 in 1973.
- LEAs were required to provide both primary (ages 5-11) and secondary education (from age 11).
- Children were to receive an education suited to their “age, aptitude, and ability.”
- Maximum class sizes were set at 40 in primary schools and 30 in secondary schools.
- LEAs were required to provide school meals, free milk, and regular medical inspections.