Figure 1.--Preparatory schools were founded in the mid-19th century as boarding institutions. Many modern parents question the value of boarding for the youngdr children. |
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Educators began founding preparatory schools in the mid-19th century. The purpose was to provide a safe envuiroment for younger children while prepring them for the public schools. Most public schools were founded as boarding schools. Over time the tradition of boarding school education became firmly etrenched in British education. Boarding became more important in England than any other country. Quite a number of the public schools date to the 19th century when Britain was expanding its educational system to train administrators and technicials for its huge overseas empire. It was at this time that preparatory schools began to appear. Public schools originzlly taught boys of varying age, some quite young. Public schools could be very rough places, especially for younger boys. Educators by the early 19th century increasing realized that the educational needs of the younger boys required a school specifical suited for their needs. Thus the preparatory school was created, a school designed to prepare boys for the public schools. Boardoing continued to be the predominant pre-school approach for parents who could afford it. This did not begin to change until well after World War II when parents began to question the appropriteness for younger children.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
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[Blazer
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