My First Novel's Inspirations ~ Part 7b ~ Education

Hello and welcome to another Monday blog post. If you missed last week's post (7a), I hope you'll catch that post, too, when you have a chance. 

First, I want to thank everyone who stepped up this past week and gave me so much love and support by subscribing to my website. It was a real confidence booster and I was able to bite the bullet and send my proposal in to the first Literary Agent who asked for it way back in September. I never would have guessed it would take me so long to reach the place where I felt ready to do it, but I finally did and now the ball is in their court. I could have up to six weeks to hear back, so I'll be working extra hard to do the final edits on the rest of my novel while I'm waiting for the yay or nay. Don't worry, if I hear back I'll let you know. May God's will be done, either way.

Education in 18th Century England (cont.)

The Working Class and Poor Boys-

Charity Schools:

"Charity schools were less formal institutions and were geared chiefly towards the poorer sections of society. Many of them in fact owed their existence to the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SPCK), founded in 1699. It was an expressed aim of the Society to spread Christian knowledge as a form of missionary activity.

During the 18th century the Society's leaders created schools for the poor in the 7-11 age group wherever it could. It is from these schools that the modern concept of primary and secondary education has grown. The SPCK also concerned itself with the training of teachers, and to some extent introduced a sense of professionalism to teaching." 

One such charity school was the Blue Coat School, named for their uniform color. These schools did accept both boys and girls.

"The original Christ's Hospital, also known as the "bluecoat school" because of its
distinctive uniform, was founded by Edward VI in Newgate Street in the City of
London in 1552 for the education of poor children. Following the dissolution of the
monasteries the City of London sought to obtain possession of the royal hospitals
from Henry VIII and Edward VI. Agreements were reached whereby control of
Christ’s Hospital, amongst others, passed to the City.
The age of admission of pupils has varied at different dates. It has always admitted
both boys and girls. In the early years of the school, those too young to receive full time education were "put out to nurse" in the country, usually in Essex or Hertfordshire, or else remained with their parents, who received a weekly allowance.

The Royal Mathematical School, founded in 1673, was an integral
part of Christ's Hospital, from which its pupils, all boys, were chosen at the age of 11
or 12. They were educated in mathematics and navigation, and were intended for service in the Royal Navy." 

"Divers well disposed persons Inhabitants of ye Parish of St. Margaret Westr, and communicants of the new Church therein, to the honour of God and for preferring and promoting the Religion by law established in the Church of England, did by Charitable and Free Benevolance enact and continue a Free School at their own annuall expense, wherein fifty poor boys of the said Parish, whose Parents were not able to be at the charge of their teaching, were and still are carefully taught to read, write, cast accompts, and also catechised and instructed in the Principles of our most Holy Religion, and put out when fit to trades whereby they might act honest livelyhoods in the World." 

There are still some Blue Coat Schools open today. Such as this one:

"The Liverpool Blue Coat School is a grammar school in Wavertree, Liverpool, England. It was founded in 1708 by Bryan Blundell and the Reverend Robert Stythe as the Liverpool Blue Coat Hospital and was for many years a boys' boarding school before reverting in September 2002 to its original coeducational remit.


The school holds a long-standing academic tradition. Examination results consistently place it top of the national GCSE and A-level tables. In 2016 Blue Coat was ranked as the best school in the country based on GCSE results.[1] In 2015 it was The Sunday Times State School of the Year.[2] The acceptance rate for admissions is around fifteen percent." 

Dames Schools:

"Other types of local school are often grouped under the heading of 'dame schools'. These were often run by old ladies or retired soldiers who for small fees taught the basic 'three Rs' - reading, writing and arithmetic - to the children of poorer tradesmen." 

"The dame school is an English school with a long tradition, largely because England was so late in establishing a state system of tuition-free schools. A dame school was the place that very young children from working-class or other modest-income families learned to read, do math, and write. They were not schools in the modern sense of a building where a group of teachers taught a sizeable number of children. Rather it was usually where a single woman taught a small group of younger children, often in her home. In many cases it was a middle-aged or elderly woman with just a basic education if any at all." 

I am linking the following article, because I found it very interesting, but slightly too long for this already long blog. I do encourage you to take a look at it, if you have the time.

The Cultural Origins of Popular Literacy in England 1500-1850
 by Thomas Laqueur ~ Oxford Review of Education 

I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about education in the 18th century in England. I know I enjoyed it. Next week, I hope to delve into the education of girls. Subscribe here or go to my website and subscribe, then you'll be notified when I post again. 

Have a great week and thanks for coming! May the Lord God bless you and your family with faith, hope and love.

In Christ,
Sandy


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