Figure 1.--Computers have become an important element of the modern school. There are wide variations in how schools are equipped and how computers are used. Most English schools have at least one computer room, depending on the size of the school. A reader writes, "It seems strange seeing the boys in this photograph wearing brown shorts rather than the traditional grey or navy blue as part of their uniform. I wonder why the school didn't use a brown blazer with say yellow piping, which I feel would have looked better than the blue blazers they are wearing." HBC note: Computers can play tricks on colors. The boys here are wearing grey short trousers

Schools sponsor a wide range of other activities, including basketry, carpentry, chess, choir, computers, cooking, debate, dramatics, electronics, fishing, model building, music, railroading, rilfelry, and much more. The activities offer depend in part on the type of school. Some of these activities are associated with the academic program. Other activies are extra-curricular activities which are given varying degrees of emphasis at different schools. Some of these events required some specialized gear. The boys for others more associated with classroom activities commonly just wore their everyday school uniform. Some classess such as sciuence or art may require some sirt of smock or protective clothing.

Art

Bank

Some schools have set up banks where the children can deposit money. This helps teach the children how to hadlke their money and about interest and book keeping. The children in most of these projects actually help run the babk. It is an activity that seems to interest the children. The children also get some valuable lessons in practical mathematics. For many children the mathematics is more meaningful than abstract math class because money is involved. Often the schools partner with a local bank. Most local banmks in England are now braches of local chains. And some of these big national banks have programs that schools can take advantage of if they want to set up a school bank.

Computers

Computers have become an important element of the modern school. There are wide variations in how schools are equipped and how computers are used. Many English schools by the 1980s had a computer room, depending on the size of the school. The image here shows the school computer room (gfigure 1). Increasingly computers as costs have declined are being introduced to individual classrooms. Here educators are still working with how to best use the computer in the classroom.

Dance

Dance has been a part of the curriculum in British schools. It is not as important as other fine arts, especially art. Drama is usually done as a kind of school projdect--the school or class play. Drama does receive some attention at English schools, especially at the primary level. The emphasis has varied over time. There are various ways dance is approached in the schools. There used to be a motion curriculum for younger children. May pole dancing was popular. Dance is offered as an extra or an activity. Normally it is the girls who are intersted. Older students receive lessons in social dancing. This is sometimes done during gym class.

Drama

Drama is an important activity at many British schools. Here this varies greatly from school ti school. It seems to be an activity persued more at private than state schools. Much dependended on the interests and talents of the teachers involved. Drama can be persued both as a classroom activity or a subject in itself. Primary schools have the greatest flexibility here. Teachers might organize informal skits as part of a learning activity. Secondary teachers study Shakepere and other literature might also organize informal skits or readings. Some scondary schools have drama programs. Many schools also organize school plays as an important extra-curicular activity. Tese plays are very important events at some schools. One interesting aspect of school drama is that boys are often attracted by some of the rechnical aspects such as lighting, sound, as well as the media mechanics such as video recording.

Drill

Drill in the 19th century and early 20th century was commonly used as part of the program. Both the exercise and discipline was considered to be good for the children. Both boys and girls did drill. We see children during drill through the 1930s. We note children at the Douglas School, probably in the 1920s. Drill became less common after World War II.

Music

Music is today an important part of English school activities. We have, however, few details at this time about the history of music education in England. There is, however, a long history connecting music and education in England. In fact the first known schools in the country were choir schools organized at monastaries. hey were called song schools. Boys abd their pure clkear voices were used in the liturgy at the monastaries. This was also a way of training boys for the priesthood. This tradition continued at the great cathedrals rose. Here we loose the historical record. The chorl traditions at the cathedrals was weakened by first Henry VIII's disolution of the monastaries, the Protestanr Rformation, and the English Civil War, but it never entirely disppeared. We have no information about music in the various schools that appeared in Britain, public (private boarding) schools, grammar, schools, national schools, preparatory schools, state schools, etc. We suspect that choirs were organized from an early point in the public schools because religious services were heald there. We have no idea about training in musical instruments. The ethos at the public schools put a much greater emphasic on sports than music. Notice that in the 19th century classic set in an English public school, Tom Brown's School Days, there is a great deal about sport, but I do not recall anything about music. [Hughes] We also know that there was a great revival of interest in choral music in the 19th century. Prince Albert was among those who showed an interest. How much of this filtered down to the schools we do not know. England lagged behind many other countries in estblishing free state schools, what in other countries are called public schools. We get the impression that drill and sports were more important than music, but we have few setails. We do see choirs and musical instruction in the early 20th century, but our impression is that major changes did not occur until after World War II. We see a very substantial increase in the emphasis on music. This occurred in both the state schools and the private schools including the boarding schools (public and preparatory) where the sports ethos was so deeply entrenched. A factor here was probably the spread of coeducaion. We note that by the 1980s a very large number of the chilren enrolled at preparatory boarding schools at least attempted to lear a musical instrument. We are les sure about trends in the state sytem. Music today is an important part of the National Curriculum.

Prize Giving

A prize-giving is a school ceremony where prizes are awarded to students people who have produced a very high standard of work or performance. They are awarded at the end of the school years. Normally at a prize giving ceremony, the headmaster gives an inspiring speech before giving out the awards. This includes both academic work and a range of school activites, including sports, debate, and performance arts like art, drama, dance, and drama. The awards can vary from school to school, including, the level, size, type, and phiolophy of the svhool. There are both individiual awards and subject matter awards. There are also named wards where youn get your name added to a plaque, often called a shield. Sometimes we see a group being awarded a shield. We are mot sur how that worked. Big schools generally hand out certificates. Depending on the school there also be awards for improved achievements. English schools also have house awards. This was based on the public (elite private) boarding school houses. But day schools are also often organized into houses for these competitons.

Sources

Hughes, Thomas. Tom Brown's School Days (1857). This classic book is is set in the 1830s at Rugby School, one of the most famous British public school for boys. The author attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842. It has endless detail about the very rough life in public schools at the time. It is considered to be a work highlighting the need for reform. At the time, preparatory schools creating aafeer environment for younger boys werre beginning to appear.

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Created: 5:58 AM 11/28/2015
Last updated: 9:27 PM 7/1/2019