Infant Schools and Dissenters

John Alexander

• 18 maart 2025
• 9789370862401

Samenvatting:

Infant Schools and Dissenters by John Alexander is a work that addresses the role of early education in 19th-century Britain, particularly focusing on infant schools and the involvement of dissenting religious groups in their establishment and operation. The book examines the educational needs of young children and the efforts of various dissenting denominations—religious groups who did not conform to the Church of England—to provide education to working-class children, often outside of traditional church-sponsored schools.In the book, Alexander discusses the development of infant schools, which were innovative institutions designed to educate children from a very young age, typically ages three to seven. These schools emphasized basic literacy and numeracy, as well as moral instruction, providing a foundation for further learning. Alexander highlights the role of dissenting groups, such as Baptists, Methodists, and Quakers, who often saw the education of children as a means to promote moral and social improvement, distinct from the state-run or Anglican schools.