Different types of schools have existed in some cultures and civilizations since many centuries ago. The merit of the Victorian era is that schooling became compulsory and was extended to the poor and the rich, laying the foundations of current schools. But, What were Victorian schools like?
What were Victorian schools like?
When Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837 the education was a privilege of the wealthy classes. They had a governess or a tutor in their home and when the children were old enough they enrolled in very expensive institutions to finish their studies. The girls, in general, continued to be educated at home. The working classes did not have access to education until Robert Raikes started the call «Sunday school». In it, children who worked during the week could receive minimal instruction. From the decade of the 40s of the 19th centuryspread throughout the country «British Schools» and Ragged Schools; The latter were charity schools intended for children without resources. In 1870 a law was passed that made Class attendance is mandatory for all children from 5 to 10 years old and in 1893 extended to 11 years. Despite the law, many children did not attend school because their parents or employers preferred to put them to work to earn a wage.
He schedule of Victorian schools era 9:00 to 17:00 and they had a break 2 hours to eat, they were supposed to be able to get home and come back in that time. In rural schools, many children took food from home in lunch boxes. They had some recreational time like current schools.
The buildings used to have high windows so that students would not be distracted looking for them, between this fact and that They were lit with gas lamps, the classes used to be very poorly ventilated. The classrooms were usually very crowded and in the cities it was easy to find even 70 children per class.
There was one classroom in the Hitchin municipal school with capacity for 300 students, although in the towns the classes were smaller. Children They didn’t usually separate by age.. Of course, boys and girls were generally in separate classrooms or on separate benches and even the playground had a division. Many classrooms had the inclined ground like in the cinemas, so that from all rows the teacher (and the teacher could see the children) well. The tables used to be nailed to the ground so that they would not move from their place.
Mostly reading, writing and mathematics were taught. For the calculation they used to use the Abacus. They also received some lessons geography and sciencethe first with a globe and the second through the observation, since an object from nature used to be placed on the student’s desk and the class was taught based on what was seen in it. Religion used to be introduced through reading, since for many years the Bible was the book of initiation, until someone thought of looking for simpler texts. In the afternoons they used to receive a more practical instruction; the boys carpentry, agriculture, shoemaking, etc. and the girls do housework such as ironing or cooking. Since paper and ink were expensive, the little ones began to write in sandboxes or blackboards and later they went to paper and pen. At that time and until In the middle of the 20th century, left-handed children were forced to write with the right hand.
Victorian children were frequently punished at school if they did not comply with the rules. It was normal for them to be beaten with a birch branch on the hands or bare legs although they were also used leather belts. Another punishment consisted of placing a hood with the legend «donkey» in the center and do it on a high stool; This was believed to induce the student to try harder. In some places a small wicker basket in which the young man was placed and this was suspended from the ceiling using a rope and pulleys, although the most normal thing was that they made you copy a sentence many times without committing fouls.
The majority of teachers during the Victorian era were women, as this was one of the few accepted professions for them. There was the figure of the assistant teacher, who tended to be the most advantaged children, and who took groups of younger children to help the teacher.
Despite all its shortcomingss, Victorian schools put the bases of compulsory and regulated education that has survived to this day.
What did you think of Victorian schools? Do you think they were very different from today?
If you were interested in this article, you may want to read the post: The terrible lives of Victorian chimney sweep children.