How schools have changed!

How would you like to be in a class of 100? This question will certainly cause
some controversy inside your head - a part of you thinks it’d be great as it lowers
your chances of being examined while the other part probably is despising the idea
of a small cramped sitting area with constant murmurs circulating the room.

To help you clear up those thoughts, we’ll be going back in history and comparing
how the education system has changed compared to the Victorian times.

During that time education itself may have been a privilege, standard education
was not easily offered to everyone. Poverty was a wide spread matter therefore
most children went to Sunday schools, of which the main purpose was to educate
them about the Christian religion. Common stationaries today were also a privilege
for people back then and many were to use a small black slate - which compared to
the long and difficult lessons taught, may have been an inconvenience. Moreover,
the age-limit for attending school was from age 5 to 10. Quite surprising, isn’t it?

Unlike today. Children, though going to the same school, were divided according
to their genders. Females being taught household chores and males, geography. In
spite of that, some subjects such as math, history and literature were taught to both.
And of course, religion was the key.

You may think being sent to detention is cruel (with today’s standards it is). But in
the 1800’s children were beaten with a bamboo cane until painful red marks called
‘weals’ were left behind. It’s crazier when you realise some mistakes are not even
made by them. Yes, there are other terrible punishments – what’s being mentioned
here is one amongst many.

For all the things that move forward and change, some things remain reliably the
same. Students are given a long summer break and are required to go to school on
the weekdays. We can consider ourselves lucky that this routine was never altered
with. On the other hand, the tradition of punishments never went away. But it can
be considered as something ‘essential’ when it comes to maintaining the discipline
of the youngsters.