Students interviewed their grown ups, their parents and grandparents about what school was like when they were young.
Some parents went to day school and some went to boarding school and there were accounts from schools at home and abroad.
The earliest account was from 1938.
“Many children walked and when it rained they ran.
Some drank a little bottle of milk at break time.
The boys wore shorts, a jacket and cap.
The girls wore a smock or pinafore over their clothes to protect them.
When it was cold children would were their coats in school”.
This is an account from 1946:
“There were 55-60 boys in a class
and the classroom was heated by a fire.
The children all sat in rows of desks all facing teacher.
In the summer term, many children came to school barefoot”.
“In Poland there are no uniforms, by law since 1976.
When I went to school, it started at 8 ended at 2.30.
In the yard girls played with elastics.
The boys plays soccer, chess, join the dots.
There was 3-4 hours homework every day!”
Some people remembered high windows.
They let in plenty light, but the children couldn’t look out and be distracted.
“There was wooden desk with a top that lifted up where we kept our books copies and pencils.
We enjoyed playing with friends, chasing, football, hurling, skipping and hopscotch.
Great times, loads of fun no worries”
“When we are eager to grow up and leave school, we hear people say that they are your happiest days and we aren’t sure if we believe them but later you realize they were right and you school friends are friends for life”
Thanks to all the ‘older people’, who agreed to be interviewed about school
in other countries and in olden days!
We can see that some things are the same and some things are very different.