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  1. #1
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    Default school admission age ?

    at what age were children required to attend school ? one of my great-grandfathers seems to have been admitted to an Isle of Wight 'National School' at 3 years and 4 months. This was 1871.

    Other boys on the same page have admission ages between 3 and 11.

  2. #2
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    The Elementary Education Act of 1870 introduced education for children between five and 12. Attendance became compulsory in 1880.

    Schooling was administered by School Boards who could set up schools ("Board Schools") if needed. "National Schools" were Church of England schools. There were also "British Schools" which were nonconformist.

    So I think the answer is that in 1871 parents were not obliged to send their children to school at all. On the other hand schools were required to provide schooling from age 5. The non-state schools such the National Schools could presumably admit younger children if they so wished.

  3. #3
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    I looked into this in response to a similar question some years ago, but I can't find the details of what I said (it may not even have been on B-G).

    Without repeating my research, my recollection is that from censuses and elsewhere, 3-year-old "scholars" were quite common. Education Committee minutes from around here circa 1910-20 (I think) record a decision to raise the starting age to 5 due to lack of space in the schools.

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