Figure 1.--The boy here we think on an outing with his family in the 1930s probably attended an Anglican (COE) primary school. Prep schools generally had more of a unifoem and were boarding schools. Local authorities (board) primaries generally did not have caps with badges. The Anglican primaries were absorbed into the state systrem (1944), but as part of the educational reforms were assured of funding and retained their religious ethos.

Churches, especially the Church of England (COE) played a maotr fole in the English school system. Presumably there were schools in Britain during the Roman Era (1st-4th century AD), but we know nothing about them. The first English schools were schools organized in cathedrals and the monastaries that developed in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (6th century). For the next millenium, the Church had a monompoly on education. At first it was the Roman Church, but when Henry VIII broke with Rome (1530s), it was the independent COE that took responsibilities for education. Roman Catholicism was treated differently tjan the discdenting Protestant faiths because of both domestiv ans inrernatiuianl affairs. Domestic Catholics were tying to unseat Elizabeth and James I (Guy Fawkes), Catholic supression of the Frennch Hugenoughts, Queen Mary's supression of Protestants, and the foreign Catholic powers waginng war (the Spanish Armada). And for the nec=xt two centuries Roman Catholocism was supressed. It was the COE and other Protestant churches that began to build a modern school system with the National Schools (early-19th century). Parliament began providing partial funding for the National Schools, despite their religious foundation (1830s). At the same time Catholics were beginning to regain their civil rights, including the right for relgious education. The Bishops of England and Wales (vicars apostolic) found the Catholic Poor School Committee (1847). (this was the forerunner of the modern Catholic Education Service.) Pariament restored the Catholic hierarchy (1850). The Catholic Church assigned a priority education, often building schools before churches. Parliament only began the creation of state (local board) schools with the Education Act (1870). Many of the National Schools evolved into Anglican schools. Some became associated with the non conforming sects (Baptists, Methodists, and others). Another Education Act began preparing England for the post-World War II era (1944). Among the many changes, most Catholic schools became 'voluntary aided' schools. This meant they faith schools (including the Catholic schools) were for the most part ansorbed into the state system, assuring funding, but retained their distinctively Christian. These schools are today a major component of England's education system. Therea were nearly 7,000 such insitutions (2012). That meant a third of all maintained (state) schools and nearly a quarter of all academies (private schools). [DOE] The numbers appear to have fallen somewhat (2017). [COE-Types] By far the COE is the dominat firce in faith schools, something like a quarter of all English primary schools. {COE-Church] The availability of faith schools and the tolerance for religious activity in state schools (in sharp contrast to America), the private Christian schools common in the United states are a relative rarity in Engkand, but a few do exist throughout the country. At first the faith schools were all sposored by Christisn (mostly COE) churches. Today there are also Jewish and Muslim sponosored schools. Faith schools today are very imprtant part of English education, including the state system.

Sources

Church of England (COE). "Types of Church School" (2017).

Church of England (COE). "Church Schools and Academies Information" (2017).

Department for Education (DOE). "Maintained faith schools" (2012).

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Created: 2:21 AM 12/12/2020
Last updated: 2:21 AM 12/12/2020