HOLE 15: SCHOOL’S OUT

THE VICTORIAN SCHOOLS:

Education in Victorian England evolved from a privilege of the wealthy to a more structured and accessible experience for the working class, especially after major education reforms. An Act of Parliament in 1870 made this possible.

Before this time, children were viewed as cheap labour and poor families sent them to work to earn the family money.

Costs and attendance:

New schools were built to offer practical education for children that they could use in their working lives. Attendance was compulsory, and charges were made depending on what the families could afford, e.g., one pence a week for a miner’s child or a maximum of three pence a week for a child of a well-off family. Charges were waived for children whose families could not afford anything at all. Charges were dropped after another Act in 1880.

Discipline in the classroom:

Discipline in Victorian schools was strict and often harsh, reflecting broader societal values of obedience, order, and moral rigour. The education system during Queen Victoria’s reign emphasised discipline as essential for shaping good moral character and ensuring control, particularly in large classrooms. Corporal punishment, such as being struck by the cane (typically on the hands or backside), the ruler (on knuckles), and the strap, was common practice.

Other forms of punishment included pupils wearing a dunce cap and sitting on a stool in the corner or being humiliated in front of classmates. This was a deliberate tactic to encourage conformity.