A typical Victorian school day would last from 9:00 in the morning to 5:00 at night. The day would begin with prayers and Bible lessons and a register would be taken. Lessons concentrated on teaching the 3 R's - reading, writing and arithmetic although subjects such as history and geography were also studied. Girls were also taught cooking and needlework whilst boys had woodwork lessons. The children were expected to learn things by rote - repeating things over and over until they were remembered. |
Section of an algebra workbook, courtesy of Durham Heritage Centre. Photographed by Jeff Veitch.
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A replica school bell, courtesy of Tyne and Wear Museums service. Photographed by Jeff Veitch. |
If children attended school regularly and learnt their lessons well they were rewarded but children who were late, didn't concentrate or misbehaved were punished. They could be made to wear a large pointed cone-shaped hat called a dunce's cap and stand in the corner. If a child's behaviour was judged to be very bad they were caned with a thin wooden stick.
What do you think it would have been like to spend a day in a Victorian school?
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