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'Education in England pre-1870 was characterised by social and gender stratification. ' With reference to at least three types of school, examine the extent to which provision was different (i) for the different social classes, and (ii) for girls and boys.

In this assignment I will be discussing how social and gender stratification was characterized during the pre-1870 in England Education. I will also be reflecting this on three types of schools and how provision was different for the different types of social classes and gender. During the pre-1870 there were many schools who were diverse from one another. However, most of these schools educated boys rather than girls due to their gender social status.

When it came to education for girls, it wasn’t their class that was just taken into consideration but their gender. Depending on the child’s sex, education was seen as useless to their lives. If the child was girl, there was a likely chance that the girl would have been excluded from the most important aspects of her educational experience. Because women in industrial societies had a different and lower position in the division of labour than men, the ideas presented in schools were thought to be no use to women. In the pre-1870’s it was believed that the knowledge, values and skills women may have had was useless when compared to men which therefore was thought that they were better off to be a housewife. (Deem R, 1978)

Women were also seen powerless which lacked their confidence in challenging the structure of the industry division so they accepted how things were.

In the 19th century the sort of education you received was dependent upon your social status. The upper class did not want to be equal or to be educated the same way as the lower class children as it could have dropped their social status. Furthermore, those who were born into an upper class families were believed to be better educated which empowered them to have the rights to vote, as they supposedly vote wiser than other social classes.

The first school I will be discussing about is dame school. Children who were born into working class families wanted to be educated however, due to the great instability with funds they couldn 't afford they did not receive a good amount of education. Due to their social status, they were sent off to a dame school whilst their parents were at work. Students who attended the school weren 't guaranteed a good education as it was very basic therefore, they were just taught how to read and write. The facility indirectly adopted a child-minding status and was managed by elderly women. Maclare S (1970) stated that the school ran in a miserable condition by future clerks and tradesmen. This school wasn’t concerned if a girl couldn’t read and write as their main purposes were to teach girls how to sew in order to become a successful ‘perfect housewife’.

Mothers was not eager on sending their children to dame schools and teachers did not consider this as the principal subject however, in order for the child to be looked after and to be out of home they had no choice but to attend the school and to be educated what was given. Goldstrom J.M (1972)

Grammar schools were one of the many schools who had very high expectations about an individual’s social status. This school was a single sex school which provided a good education on those who had a good ability. The school was influenced by religious attributes such as the Church of England. Males who were academically selected to be educated by this school were those who came from an upper working class. This school had a strong belief that boys had a better chance in achieving better and would have flourishing future. There was a stereotypical thought that males had a better understanding about the skills and values taught better than girls in general. So it was all dependent on your gender and social status.

The middle class students would usually attend a Dissenting academy in order to learn arithmetical skills.Their education wasn’t as good as grammar schools but it wasn’t as poor as Dame schools as their aim was to provide a high quality education to the students. Therefore, they weren’t just taught the very basic such as reading and writing.

Before the 1870 act several secondary schools designed special house-craft flats which were built into their domestic science rooms in order to prevent girls from escaping from the home and the domestic work they are expected to do. Girls were educated more about child care and domestic skills in order for them to flourish as a good housewife.

During the 19th century children were often educated in single rooms regardless of their sex. However, when particular activities were taking place teachers usually divided the sex into 2 sections by putting a screen between them in order to get on with the activities which were set aside for them. Normally the activities which were set aside for the girls to take part in was domestic work such as sewing and needle work. Children who were taught in industrial schools were usually educated a little more than the simple skills that is required in order to be employed. This was usually arranged on the basis of the type of gender.

Girls who attended schools were most likely to be examined on domestic work such as sewing and knitting rather than subjects such as maths, English and geography as this was something the boys would be examined on. Middle class girls were offered a better education than the working class girls and were also educated about arithmetical skills rather than just being educated about domestic work such as knitting and sewing. Working class girls who were educated in dame schools received a very basic curriculum than the working class boys as girls was not offered as much arithmetical skills than boys. Girls were taught relevant skills which related to domestic work instead. Everything which was out of the ordinary in school was normally set aside for boys, so that school outings, for instance, were hardly appeared by girls. (Deem R)

Bibliography:

Goldstrom, J. M (1972), Education: elementary education, 1780-1900, David and Charles, Newton Abbot.

Lawson J, Silver H (1973), A Social History of Education in England,

Bibliography: Goldstrom, J. M (1972), Education: elementary education, 1780-1900, David and Charles, Newton Abbot. Lawson J, Silver H (1973), A Social History of Education in England,