Creating childhoods : ideas of child and school in London 1870-1914
This thesis provides the first comprehensive examination of how childrenâs abilities were âclassifiedâ and managed in London, following the creation of school places under the 1870 Elementary Education Act. It explores how new schools (known as Board Schools), shaped and were shaped by the diverse social, physical and mental capabilities of Londonâs children. I argue it was only through administering the 1870 Education Act across such a diverse city that a right to schooling was shown to be not enough, children needed a right to learn. Yet learning was not uniform and different authorities could not agree on how and what children needed for successful learning. The idea of the Board School and its students would become increasingly pluralistic. In 1874 the School Board for London (SBL) described it as its âdutyâ to educate Londonâs near half a million child-population. In order to realise this duty ideas of school and child were challenged. This thesis examines how these ideas developed from the implementation of the Education Act in 1870 to the Mental Deficiency Act of 1913 prior to the Great War. I unpick how children and their learning began to be classified by teachers, inspectors, doctors
Lee, Imogen Claire
Creating childhoods : ideas of child and school in London 1870-1914. This thesis provides the first comprehensive examination of how childrenâs abilities were âclassifiedâ and managed in London, following the creation of school places under the 1870 Elementary Education Act. It explores how new schools (known as Board Schools), shaped and were shaped by the diverse social, physical and mental capabilities of Londonâs children. I argue it was only through administering the 1870 Education Act across such a diverse city that a right to schooling was shown to be not enough, children needed a right to learn. Yet learning was not uniform and different authorities could not agree on how and what children needed for successful learning. The idea of the Board School and its students would become increasingly pluralistic. In 1874 the School Board for London (SBL) described it as its âdutyâ to educate Londonâs near half a million child-population. In order to realise this duty ideas of school and child were challenged. This thesis examines how these ideas developed from the implementation of the Education Act in 1870 to the Mental Deficiency Act of 1913 prior to the Great War. I unpick how children and their learning began to be classified by teachers, inspectors, doctors
creating childhood idea child school london provide_first comprehensive_examination child ability classify managed london follow creation school place elementary education_act explore new school know board schools shape shaped diverse social physical_mental capability london child argue administer education_act across diverse city right school show enough child need right learn yet learn uniform different authority could agree child need successful learning idea board school student would_become increasingly pluralistic school_board london describe duty educate london near child population order realise duty ideas school_child challenge examines idea develop implementation education_act mental deficiency act prior great_war children learning begin classified teacher doctor