What was taught in Primary Schools in the 1800s?
There were different types of schools; the wealthy had governesses and tutors; the poorer ones went to schools: “There were several kinds of school for poorer children. The youngest might go to a “Dame” school,run by a local woman in a room of her house. The older ones went to a day school. Other schools were organised by churches and charities. Among these were the “ragged” schools which were for orphans and very poor children. Victorian lessons concentrated on the “three Rs”-Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic. Children learnt by reciting things like parrots, until they were word perfect. It was not an exciting form of learning! Science was taught by “object lesson”. Snails, models of trees, sunflowers , stuffed dogs, crystals, wheat or pictures of elephants and camels were placed on each pupil’s desk as the subject for the lesson. The object lesson was supposed to make children observe, then talk about what they had seen. Unfortunately, many teachers found it easier to chalk up lists de
