Figure 1.--Here sw see boys going adter a ball durung their morning break, The ball was a rounfers ball, but most English boys prefer to kick it. The boys at the right were involved in a horse and rider fight. |
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The English have their own names for school activities. The free time in between classes are generally known as morning and afternoon break, what American children call recess. This involves the children in the play ground, playing and supervised with a teacher who would have kept a watchful eye on the children, but for the most part not interfered in the games unless it was endangering the children or some one was misbehaving. Activities vary by age and interest. Younger children rather enjoy games. Older boys go in for sports activities which have to be abreviated because the breaks are only about 15 minutes. There is also a good deal of frentic activity, running about aNd chasing. An enthusiastic teacher might play the games the children played. An English reader writes, "Very rarely the weather was so bad we would not be allowed out at breaks. Today I think the weather decision was more to do with whether the staff wanted to go out and supervise as we would always be outside in the rain and snow etc at other times. 'Wet Play' meant we had to stay in our classrooms or one of the school halls. The halls would always get very noisy and rowdy. Some Scottish schools refer to breaks as 'Peace'. I know of an English senior school which discusses it's three terms as 'Quarters'. There are many such individualities within UK schools with varying names for each year group, particular rooms and so forth." The breaks have remained similar. The lunch period has changed quite a bit as the facvilities at schools have changed. The British call the end of school going home home time.
The English have their own names for school activities. The free time in between classes are generally known as morning and afternoon break, what American children call recess. This involves the children in the play ground, playing and supervised with a teacher who would have kept a watchful eye on the children, but for the most part not interfered in the games unless it was endangering the children or some one was misbehaving. Activities vary by age and interest. Younger children rather enjoy games. Older boys go in for sports activities which have to be abreviated because the breaks are only about 15 minutes. There tend to be boys kicking a ball or others batting a tennis ball with a crticket bat. A real cricket ball is far to hard anf dangerous be ued won a crowded playground. There is also a good deal of frentic activity with the younger boys, running about and chasing. Piggy-back fights were fun. The girls tend to be more sedate. An enthusiastic teacher might play the games the children played. An English reader writes, "Very rarely the weather was so bad we would not be allowed out at breaks. Today I think the weather decision was more to do with whether the staff wanted to go out and supervise as we would always be outside in the rain and snow etc at other times. 'Wet Play' meant we had to stay in our classrooms or one of the school halls. The halls would always get very noisy and rowdy. Some Scottish schools refer to breaks as 'Peace'. I know of an English senior school which discusses it's three terms as 'Quarters'. There are many such individualities within UK schools with varying names for each year group, particular rooms and so forth."
The breaks have remained similar. The lunch period has changed quite a bit as the facilities at schools have changed. In fact the name of the break has cahnged. Lunch is a largrely American term. It was not unknown term in Britain, but was seen as a rather working-class term and not used much at school with its middle-class staff. School lunches as late as the mid-20th century were called 'school dinners'. We now see it being reffered to as lunch, another example of creeping Americaniss. British schools especially primary schools did notb have cafertrias. Many children in the late-19th and early 20th century went home for lunch. In rural areas where the walk home was longer, mon would have prepared a sanwich or other lubch to eat at school. More recently children at school will have a 'packed lunch'. This may consists of a sandwich, a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit, and a drink. Fizzy drinks are commonly not allowed. They are carried to school in a plastic container. Sandwiches may be called a 'butty' or 'sarnie', names which varied regioinally. Larger schools, mostly secondary schools may have cafeterias, commonly called canteens. This isoptional, some tudents still bring packed lunches. Boarding schools have sit down meals with most everyone served the same meal, although there are accomodations based on medical issues.
Afterrnoon breaks was primarily a primary school matter. We think it was not as common as morning break, but do not have a lot of detail here. Private schools di it a little differently. Rather than having a afternoon break, it was more common to do games in the afternoom after classes. Games mean sports. And the actual sport varieds seasonally. Girls usially did net ball (baskertball). Pricvate schools did not give much attentiion to football (soccer) even though it is anational passsion. We aren mnot sure about state schools. Boys rarely played baskertball. The most important was rugby, hockey, and cricket. The games program might be varied with other sports activities.
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