Educated for work

At school, the emphasis was on learning skills for work, not on learning how to learn. The core curriculum was reading, writing and arithmetic (the 3 R’s). Boys were shown the tools they might need in manual jobs, and taught how to measure and calculate. Girls were taught to sew, knit and cook, ready for work as servants or wives and mothers.

In 1905, education was compulsory between the ages of 5 and 12. Some children attended one council Board school throughout their education, but most attended an infants school first, and a few went on to a specialist secondary school or a grammar school.

Across England:

• 3 in 100 2–4 year olds went to school
• 9 out of 10 5–11 year olds went to school
• 4 out of 10 12–14 year olds went to school
• Less than 1 in 100 15–18 year olds went to school

In Altofts, the records for 1905 show that almost all children left school at 12 or 13.  83 children left school that year. The youngest was 7 years 11 months, the oldest 14 years 3 months. 48 children left school to go to work, 21 left the district, 9 went to another school, 2 were ill, 2 died, and one left for reasons unknown.

Of the sixteen Altofts 12 year olds leaving school, eleven went to work and five left the district. Of the thirty six 13 year olds leaving school, twenty nine went to work, three left the district, three went to another school, and one was ill. Of the nine 14 year olds leaving school, eight went to work and one went to another school.  The youngest Altofts child to leave school to go to work was just 12 years old.

Find out more about education in Edwardian Wakefield: