Description:In the 19th century a range of state institutions emerged in the urban landscape. These were designed to rescue, discipline and control the child. The aim was to create ‘model citizens’ of the nation and empire. The school was prominent amongst these institutions. Before the late 19th century there was no state system of schooling. Those children who did go to school often only attended for a short period of time.
Specialist institutions emerged to meet the educational and social needs of certain groups of children. Charitable institutions provided poor children with opportunities for learning. For other children education was very restricted because they were categorised as ‘uneducable’ and they found themselves placed in mental institutions. Children who were seen as delinquent, ‘street arabs’, or morally vulnerable were imprisoned in correctional institutions and reformatories. At the same time other specialist institutions emerged that were aimed at improving the health of children and for caring for destitute or orphaned children.
Image: Birmingham Blue Coat School Boys, 1910.
The Blue Coat School stood at the east end of St Philip’s churchyard. It was founded as a charity in 1723 to board and educate the children of the poor. Boys and girls were taught to read, write and do basic accounts.
The children were clothed in distinctive blue uniforms. The photographs are particularly important as the names of the children are included. These can be cross referenced with the other school records.