Education
Until the passing of the Education Act of
1870 opportunities for learning were few in Calderdale, as elsewhere.
The churches provided some education in their schools, but only
a minority of children could avail themselves of it and lessons
covered only the essentials. For the few who could afford to
pay a small fee there were the dame schools where a pupil at
least learned to read and write and a smattering of arithmetic.
National Schools and Lancastrian Schools also helped to fill
the need for education and several were available in Calderdale,
one being above Cross Hills in Halifax.
For children who had lost their parents there
were some orphanages where they would receive an education, and
there were charity schools. In Halifax there was the Crossley
Orphanage, founded in 1864, which provided a good education for
the children who were lucky enough to be admitted, and the Blue
Coat School on Harrison Road, provided by the Waterhouse Charity.
In some cases schools were provided free of
charge by mill owners for the children of their employees. Such
schools were run by Colonel Edward Akroyd (1810-87) at his mills
in Haley Hill and Copley, Halifax. These were a prime example
of the paternalistic attitude shown by some of the more enlightened
and philanthropic employers in the Victorian Era.
For the well-to-do education was available
to their sons at the local grammar school. Heath Grammar School,
Halifax, was instituted in 1585 by Royal Charter and with the
strong backing of Dr John Favour (1556-1623) and throughout its
chequered history educated generations of local boys with the
conventional strong bias towards the classics.
The establishment of Board Schools after the
implementation of the 1870 Act was the first milestone in the
movement towards education for all. There were still to be many
local children who were 'half-timers' and went to school for
half the day while working in a mill for the other half, but
eventually full-time education became available to every child
and for the first time it seemed that almost any career was possible
to a child who was prepared to work hard and showed promise.
It was to be a long time, however, before this ideal became a
reality and the day was to come when not only primary and secondary
education was available to all, but also a university education.
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