Peter helped us out at the 11th hour when the advertised speaker was unable to attend. As always his talk, with slides, was most interesting and enlightening.
In the 1860’s one third of children did not attend school but the 1881 Elementary Education Act made it compulsory. Prior to the 1881 Act there was a variety of education organisations offering schooling for children; from Dame Schools and Sunday Schools to Church sponsorship that organised the Ragged Schools. Workhouses also offered a form of education for their child inmates. But not all these schools were free.
After 1891 almost all children had access to free education. Edwardian schools had mainly single sex classes in fairly large rooms. Core subjects were the 'three R's' and physical education lessons ('drill'). Girls were generally taught sewing and needlework, and boy’s woodwork and later metalwork.
Peter ended by showing examples of what information you can find in school log books.
Sandra Marvin
Next Meeting
Friday 8th December 2017 'A Kentish Christmas' by Geoff Doel and John Morgan