What age did working class children (male and female) leave school in the years before WW1?

Question

Was there a compulsory age that children had to be educated? I am specifically interested in working class kids in England in 1900-1915. Thank you.

Answer 1

After 1880 all children up to twelve had to attend school - the Elementary School Act of 1870 started this reform but not all areas enforced it to begin with. The government were under pressure to provide education for the masses to avoid Britain being left behind by superior nations.
In 1900 another Education Act introduced 'Local Education Authorities'.

Answer 2

Damn I should know this from higher history...The Liberals who were in power from 1906 - 1914 introduced reforms which helped children amongst other groups in society. I'm pretty sure primary school education was compulsory, I think possibly until the age of 12, not sure but they did raise the age up to 14 in 1918.

Answer 3

I think it was legally at 13 (Education Act, 1880). But as per the first answer, it was not often enforced.

My father left school at age 14, in 1935.

Answer 4

Looking at Census records for my family going back to 1841 the age seems to have generally been 11. Then they started going down the pit or in the cotton mills poor little blighters!

Answer 5

before world war one working class children did not go to school

the school leaving age was raised to fifteen in 1944 and raised to sixteen in 1972

the current Labour government proposes to raise it to eighteen

Answer 6

My, late, grandmother left school at 9.

It appears that enforcement of school attendance was very poor and her sister also left soon afterwards and whilst both should have been at school nothing was done about it.

Answer 7

when ever some worked in the coal mines at 10 yrs because they were small enough to hold lanterns