This section places an emphasis on what primary records can tell us about school life in the past. Children should also study local examples of these sources.
Children are introduced to records found in roll books and registers. They see that schools kept details about pupils who attended them as well as details of the occupation of their parents. Children examine extracts from roll books and registers . They consider why such records were kept.
- School Registers
Here children are able to study evidence form 19th century school registers. They see that information was kept on each pupil such as date of birth, yearly attendance, and examination results.
- School Roll books
Children will also see example from a school roll book which shows information such as occupations of parents as well as attendance and reason for leaving school. Children are asked to note which ones are similar to occupations nowadays.
- School Punishment book
A drawing form 1879 showing children carrying turf to school is accompanied by an extract from a School Punishment Book of 1908 which shows that children in a particular school were slapped for failing to bring turf to school. Children are asked to speculate on why children had to bring turf to school then. They will discover that it was not until 1911 that the government gave national schools some funds to purchase fuel. Nevertheless, when children late hear an audio clip from the mid-20th century they will find that parents still gave the school fuel if they could afford to, particularly in rural areas. Further information on heating in schools can be seen later in the section on oral evidence.
- School Report
An example of a school report from the 1960's is included.