Charity School
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Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the
history of education in England The history of education in England is documented from Saxon settlement of England, and the setting up of the first cathedral schools in 597 and 604. Education in England remained closely linked to religious institutions until the nineteenth cen ...
. They were built and maintained in various
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
es by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to teach poor children to read and write, and for other necessary parts of education. They were usually maintained by religious organisations, which provided clothing and education to students freely or at little charge. In most charity schools, children were put out to trades, services, etc., by the same charitable foundation. Some schools were more ambitious than this and sent a few pupils on to
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
. Charity schools began in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, and spread throughout most of the urban areas in England and Wales. By 1710, the statistics for charity schools in and around London were as follows: number of schools, 88; boys taught, 2,181; girls, 1,221; boys put out to apprentices, 967; girls, 407. By the 19th century, English
elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
s were predominantly charity schools. The establishment, in the nineteenth-century, of a public school system in New York meant that the role of the charity school had come to an end.


Blue coat schools in order of foundation


See also

* Charity Children Choirs *
Bluecoat school A bluecoat school is a type of charity school in England, the first of which was founded in the 16th century. Most of them have closed; some remain open as schools, often on different sites, and some of the original buildings have been adapted ...
* Ragged school *
History of education in England The history of education in England is documented from Saxon settlement of England, and the setting up of the first cathedral schools in 597 and 604. Education in England remained closely linked to religious institutions until the nineteenth cen ...
*
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is a UK-based Christian charity. Founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray, it has worked for over 300 years to increase awareness of the Christian faith in the UK and across the world. The SPCK is th ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charity School Christ's Hospital Education in England Education in the United Kingdom School types Leeds Blue Plaques