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England lagged behind America and German in building a free public (state) school system. One historian asserts that it was the Empire that discouraged the development of a strong national education system in Britain, leading elites to feel that is was not needed. "The British it seems have always done it differently .... ... the economic and imperial dominance which Britain achieved in the nineteenth century directly mitigated against the development of a coherent national system. Not only was a systematic approach to education regarded as necessary, but it was seen as likely to inhibit individual endeavor and damage the voluntarist principle which enabled innovatory industrialists and
entrepreneurs to thrive." 【Vlaeminke, p. 2.】 Major steps were made in the 1890s that finally committed Britain to creating a quality state public school system. It is not entirely clear what prompted these steps. Rising demands from the working class were a factor. Another factor was the inescapable rise of America and Germany, countries with fine public education systems. The connection between education and national success was no longer possible to ignore. Britain by 1890 had implemented the reforms sketched out in the 1864 Reform Act. And was on its ways to creating a quality state system, but still lagged behind America and Germany. The ideas of free public eduction was fully established by 1890, but still not available to many children who were leaving school after only a few years. Important new reforms were passed by Parliament leading toward the creation of the modern British education system, both Elementary Education Act (1891) which increased funding and the Board of Education Act (1899) which created local involvement and regularized supervision and controls. Essentially end of the decade, England had finally created a national education system, although limited to primary schools. And as one education historian notes that it was 'still largely confined to the provision of a minimum standard'. 【Williams, p. 137.】 Especially important we see the school-leaving age being raised to levels similar to America and Germany. The advances made in British education during the decade were for the most part primary education, at the time meaning for children up to 14 years of age or 8 primary forms (grades). This was about the time boys could seek apprenticeships or girls go into service. This was not, however, the school leaving age meaning the mandatory attendance age. Many boys by the time they left primary until the advances of the 1890s began were still a little young for apprenticeships. This created the social problem of children, especially the boys, out of school but having difficulty finding suitable employment. These boys were especially vulnerable because they were for the most the least capable academically or the poorest children. Few working-class children were able to pursue secondary education. Working class families found it a challenge to support a child in secondary school. Middle-class children continued their eduction because their families could provide more support. State primary schools did not have uniforms. The children wore their own clothes, by mostly suits for the boys and dresses, often with pinafores, for the girls. The state schools generally did not require uniforms. We note the boys wearing a variety of school styles like school caps. Eton collars were also vary common, not because the school required them, but because they were an established style. The same was true of the knee pants suits that many boys wore to school. Uniforms at the grammar schools which were secondary schools tended to follow the curriculum, ethos, and uniform trends of the public (private boarding schools) schools. Caps varied. We note several public schools which still had mortar board caps (figure 1). This seemed more common in the 1860s when we first see large number of images because of the introduction of the CDV. We see many schools adopting the peaked cap as the uniform cap for the younger boys. Boaters were also worn. When first introduced it was a games cap. Eton-style suits were popular for uniforms and the Eton collars even more common. Many public schools and grammar schools had knickers or knee pants
uniforms for the younger boys.
England lagged behind America and German in building a free public (state) school system. One historian asserts that it was the Empire that discouraged the development of a strong national education system in Britain, leading elites to feel that is was not needed. "The British it seems have always done it differently .... ... the economic and imperial dominance which Britain achieve in the nineteenth century directly mitigated against the development of a coherent national system. Not only was a systematic approach to education regarded as unnecessary, but it was seen as likely to inhibit individual endeavour and damage the voluntarist principle which enabled innovatory industrialists and
entrepreneurs to thrive." 【Vlaeminke, p. 2.】 Major steps were made in the 1890s that finally committed Britain to creating a quality state public school system. It is not entirely clear what prompted these steps. Rising demands from the working class were a factor. Another factor was the inescapable rise of America and Germany, countries with fine public education systems. And it is in the 1890s, in large part because of Kaiser Wilhelm II that the British began to become concern about the rise of an increasingly strong and aggressive Germany. And it should also be noted that the British were not sure how to assess the rise of America, either to see it as a dangerous rival or a potentially ally. Eventually the Germans would decide that issue. The connection between education and national success was no longer possible to ignore by any disinterested observer. Britain by 1890 had implemented the reforms sketched out in the 1864 Reform Act. And was on its ways to creating a quality state system, but still lagged behind America and Germany. The ideas of free public eduction was fully established by 1890, but still not available to many children who were leaving school after only a few years. Important new reforms were passed by Parliament leading toward the creation of the modern British education system, both Elementary Education Act (1891) which increased funding and the Board of Education Act (1899) which created local involvement and regularize supervision and controls. Essentially end of the decade, England had finally created a national education system, although limited to primary schools. And as one education historian notes that it was 'still largely confined to the provision of a minimum standard'. 【Williams, p. 137.】 Especially important we see the school leaving age being raised to levels similar to America and Germany.
England was late in establishing a natioal public school system, The Primary School Act of 1870 was the first major step. There was still no state pre-schools, but the Act created a state primary system and by the 1890s it was well established. Primary scholls existed earlier, but there was no comprehensive state primary school system. The advances made in British education during the decade were mostly in primary education, at the time meaning for children up to 14 years of age or 8 primary forms (grades). This was about the time boys could seek apprenticeships or girls go into service. This was not, however, the school leaving age meaning mandatory attendance age. Many boys by the time they left primary until the advances of the 1890s began were still a little young for apprenticeships. This created the social problem of children, especially the boys, out of school but having difficulty finding suitable employment. These boys were especially vulnerable because they were for the most the least capable academically or the poorest children. Few working-class children were able to pursue secondary education. Working class families found it a challenge to support a child in secondary school. Middle-class children continued their eduction because their families could provide more support.
The state school system was the subject of extensive debate and reform. It was the private schools, both preparatory and public (elite secondary boarding) schools that set the standards in British education. The state system was basically a primary school system, albeit with an 8-year program for children through about age 13 years. In addition to the public schools were schools with religious association. The largest was the Anglicam system. The Government provided financial support for these schools. There were also the grammar schools which were kind of a state-private mix. It was the grammar schools that provided secondary education to the large lower middle class that could not afford the private (prep and public) schools. The grammar schools essentially replicated the methods and ethos of the public school, but in a day school setting and at a lower cost that made the schools more accessible to low income children. While school reforms made important changes in primary education, the secondary schools were left largely untouched. And most British children ended their education when they finished primary school. It should be stressed that this was also the cse in other countries. The primary differenc between Britain and other countries is the importance of private education.
School clothing was significantly affected by the type of schools. State primary schools did not have uniforms. Most private schools did. The children at state schools wore their own clothes, by mostly suits for the boys and dresses, often with pinafores, for the girls. The
state schools generally did not require uniforms. We note the boys wearing a variety of school styles like school caps. Eton collars were also vary common, not because the school required them, but because they were an established style. The same was true of the knee pants suits that many boys wore to school. Uniforms at the grammar schools which were secondary schools tended to follow the curriculum, ethos, and uniform trends of the public (private boarding schools) schools. Caps varied. We note several public schools which still had mortar board caps (figure 1). This seemed more common in the 1860s when we first see large number of images because of the introduction of the CDV. We see many schools adopting the peaked cap as the uniform cap for the younger boys. Boaters were also worn. When first introduced it was a games cap. Eton-style suits were popular for uniforms and the Eton collars even more common. Eto suits and coolars are of course associated wuth Eton College, but Eton was so influebtial tht many school adopted the Eton suit for their school uniforms. There were often minor differences. We also see standard lapel suits and Norfolk suits wirn at differencr schools. And we see different kinds of pants including knee pnts, lnickers, and long pants. Many public schools and grammar schools had knickers or knee pants uniforms for the younger boys, but this was not always the case.
Vlaeminke, Meriel. The English Higher Grade Schools: A Lost Opportunity (Woburn Press: Abingdon, 2000). By Meriel
Williams. R. The Long Revolution (London: Chatto and Windus, 1961).
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