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Britain also lagged behind many other Protestant countries in state-financed education. A variety of effirts were nade in the 19th century to provide free or low-cost prinary education to childre, notably by religious or charitable groups. Therewas a degree of coeducation in these early efforts. There was substantial resistance to it. Only when Parliament finally passed the Education Act of 1870 did Britain begin to build a major free national education system. This made school attendance to the age of 10 years compulsory. Parliamnent extended the age with the Education Act of 1880. But this did not mean coeducation. Far from it. Most of the new school were single gender schools. This was not unusual in Europe, but coeducation had been adopted in the United which established a national public education system (actually separate state systems) well before England. There were some coeducation in England, most commonly with younger children. We see coeducation most commonly in small village that could not support two separate schools, like the school here in 1945 (figure 1). This varied a good deal because Parliament adopted no national policy. It was up to muncipal authories and in some cases the schools themselves. Thus we see some coeducation even in city schools. There are quite a few examples of this in the photographic record. Here is an example of an unidentified school about 1910. Usually the children were seated apart. Politics may have been a factor. The rising Labour Party was more amenable to coeducation than the Liberals and Conservatives. Marx is seen by many as basically gender neutral, but this is not the cases of many Marxists who followed him. Even in primary schools with boys and girls, however, there were efforts to keep the boys and girls separate, such as separate classes and separate playgrounds (school yards). Over time, we see more and more schools in the 20th cebtury becoimning coeducational. This was particularly the case after World War II. Almost all primary education in the state system is now coeducational. Private schools which continued to be mostly single-gender have followed in the same direction during recent years.
Britain also lagged behind many other Protestant countries in state-financed education. A variety of effirts were nade in the 19th century to provide free or low-cost prinary education to childre, notably by religious or charitable groups. Therewas a degree of coeducation in these early efforts. There was substantial resistance to it. Only when Parliament finally passed the Education Act of 1870 did Britain begin to build a major free national education system. This made school attendance to the age of 10 years compulsory. Parliamnent extended the age with the Education Act of 1880. But this did not mean coeducation. Far from it.
Despite having a single Parliment, the United Kingsom was complicated with different legal systems in its constiuent parts. Thus England and Britain and the United Kingdom are different entitiess. When talking about education. England and Britain are essentially the same with the exception of Scotland which had a separate euucation system., but Britain includes both England and Wales. Of course England is the largest component in area and population. WWhen speaking if reductuion, however, Britain is less centralized than man European countries. Important dcesions are left up to the local authorities.
Coeducation was in many ways a product of the Reformation. Protestant groups belived that girls as well as boys should be taught to read the Bible, although this varied among the different demomimtions. This was imprtnt not only for their own salvation, but because mothers playd a leading role in techinh children to read before the creatuioin of opublic chool systems. In Britain, coeduction was most commonm in Scotland which of course was a separate country until the the 18th century. The Church of England had less raducal Protestant features. To some extent, coeducation was more common in northern Rnglnd thasn the rest of the country. There was a long tradition of dame schools in which very young children were cared for together. Schools beyond the dame school, however, were primarily for boys. Gradually we see more girls beginning to be educated (late-18th century). The general approach in England was separate gender schools. At the time churches took a leading role in education abd the COE promoted separate gender eduction when the the issue of educating girls arose. The Society of Friends (Quakers) took leading role in promoting coeduction, but thy were a relatively small group. In Europe the primary adoption of coeduction was in ythe Protestnt north, especially Scandanavia. Engkisdh schools cintinued to be single gender into the 19th century. Most of the new schools as England began to build a free state education system were single gender schools. Thus was nearly universal in the cities, but varied somewhat in the countryside. This is becuse rural achools were necesarily smallr nd walking to school often neant some distance. Thus in made practical sense to tech the boys abnd girls together. Separate schools would have made the walks to school untenable, especially for the younger children. Separate gender sdhools were not unusual in Europe, but coeducation had been adopted in the United States which established a national public education system (actually separate state systems) well before England. There are quite a few examples of this in the photographic record. England launched it free state primsary sustem (1870). There was no decision on gender. This was left up to the locl educational uthotities. In the 20th century, ERnglish educators began to discuss the merits of single gender ad coeductionl schools. Snd therewere different approches, these invcludd different dchools, sparate classes ij nthr sm chool and separate searing within classes. Here is an example of an unidentified coeductional school about 1910. Over time, we see more and more schools in the 20th century becoming coeducational. Here we see a school in the 1920s (figure 1).An good xample of a school about 1930 is Sheringtom Primary. his was particularly the case after World War II. Almost all primary education in the state system is now coeducational. Private schools which continued to be mostly single-gender have followed in the same direction during recent years.
There were some coeducation in England, most commonly with younger children.
We see coeducation most commonly in small village that could not support two separate schools, like the school on the previous page in 1945 (figure 1). This varied a good deal because Parliament adopted no national policy. It was up to muncipal authorities and in some cases the schools themselves. Thus we see some coeducation even in city schools.
The ample photographic record allows up to follow seoaration and coeducation trends in some detail. We do nit have a lot of images from the mid-19th century, but by the late-19th century as school photography had become well established, we can follow seoaration policies in sime detrail. And we can see that most Engkish bchikldren attebded sunhfke-0gender schiols. When we speak of coeducation we primarily are talking about separate schools for boys and girls. But there are different ways of seprating the children besides having an entitely different school which is often not the optimal arrangement. Having two separate schools means that the children will have longer walk to school as a larger catchment area is needed if only boys or girls are admitted. And at the time children walked to school. And loing walks were not suitanle for the youngest children. There were various ways of separating the children. Even in primary schools with boys and girls, however, there were efforts to keep the boys and girls separate. This included separate classes and separate playgrounds (school yards). And even if the children are located in the same classroom, there were ways of separating them. At first it was quite common to seat the children beyond the nursery school age apart. The normal way of doing this was on different sides of the classroom.
Politics seems to havebeen a factor. The rising Labour Party was more amenable to coeducation than the Liberals and Conservatives. Marx is seen by many as basically gender neutral, but this is not the cases of many Marxists who followed him.
This was cimplicatred by the fact that many wirking-class families were culturally conservcative.
The separation was not just cultural footnote. It had educational consequences. If the children are seoarated, different educatiuoinal curicuka and orgrams can be deklivered. This is much more difficulot with coeducation. And educators at the time had defenite ides about the educatiuonal mprogrnmas suitable for boys and girls.
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