Ducknet

                                   SCHOOLDAYS, 1920-1930

                                                   by Eric Ayres

If you attended School in England in the era of the 1920s or 30s as I did, every child was required to write an essay, or composition in brief, during that term. A short story on any subject, but keep it brief, and it had to make sense, well dipping your pen into the inkwell (red and black in those days), and making a start without letting a drop splash onto the page of your exercise book, (blotting your copy book) and making a start was to an 11 or 12 year old a real torture, which often resulted with the reward of a couple of strokes from the Master’s cane for any mistakes. The Master’s cane was in those days very much in evidence, you were also told that you will “finish this essay, no matter how long it took”, and will “read it out loud at assembly to the whole school”, to show how much you have learned this term. “So sit down and try harder boy”, which of course you did, if only to avoid another session with the Master’s cane.

Many years later one of my grandchildren, who was staying with me for a few days, during a half term break, asked me if I had ever written an essay. I asked him “why do you ask?”, and he said that it was a new thing that they were doing in his class at school, and that every child in the class was asked to write one, and bring it in, on the first day back from half term break and also that a prize would be given for the best one presented, the one with less than 75 words would be the winner. “Got any ideas Granddad?”

Well, thinking back to my own school-days, (St Augustine’s Boys C of E Anglican). Where discipline was dispensed readily to encourage learning. One of the Masters at the beginning of term, said “stand!”, which we did, and then told us to repeat the School Motto, (“Manners Maketh Man”). “Sit” he said, “you all remember the School Motto, now I want you all to remember this which is written on the blackboard”. He turned the board round, and written on it was the following: “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. The Quick Brown Fox jumps over the lazy dog”. “Now write these sentences down into your exercise books, and tell me next week what you think they mean”.

The method of teaching in those days was far different to what it is now, the school term started in our class by nominating the Monitors: Ink, Class, Milk, Headmaster, Team, and Blackboard. This went on and was the Master’s way of delegating every boy a duty to perform by rotating us weekly. The Monitor’s jobs were a privilege to us boys, The Ink Monitor had the task of making sure that all the classroom inkwells were full, blotting paper was given to all the class at the beginning of the week, pen nibs were replaced, and all the nibs licked, to remove any oil (otherwise the ink would run off the nib, blotting your book, with two strokes of the cane administered immediate). The oil was to preserve the nib from rust, this was before fountain pens were allowed, or ball pens invented, The Ink Monitor also had the job of mixing the ink from powder, in the presence of the School Caretaker, before School started, and issuing it. The privilege was being excused from School assembly and prayers.

The Class Monitor was responsible for the desks and seats, to be ready for class assembly, The Milk Monitor, which never started until my last term at school, was to ensure that in winter the milk bottles (One third of a pint and at a half penny a day each) were put on the top of the combustion stove in the basement to warm up, and that the straw hole was perforated ready for the straw. The Headmaster Monitor was usually taken from the top class only, and his job was messenger boy, and the privilege to go to the local shop to get his cigarettes, and the card inside the packet. When the headmaster rang his little bell, you knocked on the door and announced your presence, “Head boy here Sir”. This job was for the first hour of the School day, and you were excused prayers to enable you to catch up with your lost lessons. The Team Monitor’s job, (we had Four teams: Blue, Yellow, Red and Green, named as Angles, Celts, Romans and Saxons), was to encourage their team to gain more points by ensuring that their team was the best.

Blackboard Monitor had the task of cleaning the board at the start of every lesson as required by the Master, and shaking the duster outside, not in the classroom. There was another Monitor, the Roll monitor. This involved getting the rubber print rolls out of the cupboard. These rolls had maps and areas printed and embossed on them of different designs, some of the sea coast, some of the map of England, Wales, Scotland, sea ports, mountains, etc. and the Monitor’s job was to fit the roll onto the roll handle, and make sure that the ink pad was filled. The job was to roll out the plan, map or what the Master had asked for, and roll the design onto paper for every boy in class. It could be the map of the coast line and towns, and your job was to identify all of the fishing ports, or towns, mountains, or rivers which were displayed in your sheet of paper, which the Master marked, and if you had it wrong, then another visit to the cane, and so we were taught, our exercise books were very helpful though, as they had all of the tables printed on the back cover, Times tables, measurements in length, weights, solids and liquids, Such was the teaching in those days of the 20`s and 30`s.

We all left school at or before our 14^th birthday, able to read, write, add up and count, know our tables, and could name every town, city, and most Counties in Britain, plus all of the major ports, and weather zones around our coastline. We could name nearly all of the area’s coloured red on the world map, but in those days we had an Empire, and King George V was on the throne. Most children belonged to some organisation or other, such as Boy Scouts, Guides, Boys Brigade, Nurses, etc. and attended School in the uniform of the association which they represented. They stood to attention when called to do so, especially on Armistice day, Empire day, and other occasions, danced around the maypole without any embarrassment, and even felt queer at times.

We all, every one of us stood up to attention whenever the National Anthem was played, but then we where mostly English, Scottish, Irish or Welsh children, and all subjects of King George V. You got a clip round the ear to remind you to show a little respect, and to be proud of your country. It saddens me on Armistice day, when at Church, that the Priest has to remind some, or most these days, that the National Anthem can be found at Hymn number 560 in the English Hymnal, alternate version, or second version, Hymns Ancient and Modern number 293 of our National Anthem. And then waits for the congregation to find it before the organ begins to play. How times have changed! There was a time when everyone, that is, everyone of King George’s subjects, did not need a Hymn Book to enable them to sing the National Anthem, and to stand up whilst they were able to do so. I do notice that in the USA every citizen, or nearly every citizen, stands up with their hand over their heart, whilst their National Anthem is being played, and they all seem to know the Pledge of loyalty to their Country. Perhaps I am being too patriotic, but then again I have stood up and helped to defend my Country when called upon to do so, which I am proud to say. But enough of this for a time.

The Blackboard reminder for us boys was “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain” which described all of the initial letters of the colours in the rainbow, Red, Orange, Yellow, etc. The other two sentences contained all of the letters in the Alphabet, There are others such as “Spring Forward, fall back”, to describe the change from BST to GMT. More another time.