Education Tuition Fees

The issue of tuition fees and possible scholarships has been in the news again today and has reminded me that the cost of education is nothing new - it is something which has been a problem that people have faced in past times.

In 1880 school attendance did became mandatory (although this was hard to 'police') - but these were 'penny' schools or 'ragged' schools - and often there were simply no pennies at to be spared...At that time period, children could leave school at the age of ten. In 1889 this was raised to 12 (for my dad, who went to a Church of England School, school leaving age was 14

Only in 1891, during Queen Victoria's reign, did schooling become free - which opened the doors for the children of the poor to have some chance of an education. In early Victorian times most poor people were still illiterate and I know from checking census records that this was the case with many of my own ancestors. Even when the opportunity for free education did become available, there were still many children who didn't attend on a regular basis because - particularly in the case of girls - they were often needed to help at home - or in the case of lads in rural areas, required to work on the land to bring in some income.

Sometimes it was simply lack of clothing or boots which made it difficult to attend. My dad - born in 1913 - was fortunate to have a headmaster who worked hard to help the lot of the poor and even had a store of boots. (I have written of Mr Darker before - HERE )

I was born a few years after the second World War and by comparison, my opportunities would have seemed endless... but were they?

In 1960 I passed my 11+ and was given a place at a Grammar School - were it that easy!

My dad really didn't think that I could go - because the uniform (which could be purchased at only one shop) cost an amazingly high amount of money. Money which we, as a working class family, simply didn't have. Children's mothers were beginning to supplement family income by going into employment - but my mother was dead, so there was only one income.

In the end I did go - but sacrifices were made - and debt entered into...

My dad borrowed the first £20 - for the winter uniform - by securing what was called a Provident Cheque - which needed to have set amount of money repaid each week. By the time the Spring term came round - and the summer uniform required - he still hadn't paid off the first debt and borrowed a further £20 from a Loan Club run from a public house in the town where we lived.

Obviously interest was charged and I don't even know just how long it took for all the money to be paid back. What I do know is that, although I benefited wonderfully from my education, there was never any possible chance of going on to university (if I had been clever enough!) or even staying on until the 6th form! I was needed to go out to work so that I could at least hand over money for my 'keep'.

As I never had any great ambitions I don't think this was any hardship, but once you have gone into employment it is very hard to motivate yourself to go into further education later in life (and my family situation and health problems did make this impossible)

So how do I feel about this furore over the cost of fees? well, it does impose limitations on who can access what is available - but even for those achieving the best degrees, there are no guarantees of a job being available at the end.

For many years, prior to the recent financial problems, young people would train at our universities - and then leave the country to work abroad - paying nothing back into this society at all. Perhaps this will help weed out the aimless who attend courses where there is only a small chance of obtaining work at the end - and hopefully, the dedicated, truly serious students will be helped to apply for scholarships.

Whatever happens, this money/class/choices issue is nothing new! but higher education isn't an automatic right (although some might believe that it is)and people will have to understand that they need to work very hard to achieve anything in life, whether this be in education or some other sphere.

Perhaps some of the problems today are caused by people thinking that 'the state' should provide everything for them. (and I will personally try to bear that in mind when I am faced with the looming D.L.A. issue !!!)