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

References

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

Blue coat schools in order of foundation

See also

References