Thesis (MA)--Macquarie University, School of History, Philosophy and Politics, 1979. / Bibliography: leaves 168-179.

Thesis (MA)--Macquarie University, School of History, Philosophy and Politics, 1979. / Bibliography: leaves 168-179. / Introduction -- Ragged school movements in Britain in the Nineteenth century -- The colonial background -- The establishment and development of ragged schools in New South Wales, 1860-1867 -- The emergence of social reform, 1860-1867 -- The ragged school movement consolidated, 1868-1889 -- The triumph of evangelism, 1868-1889 -- Expansion and decline of ragged schools, 1890-1924 -- Social needs reconsidered, 1890-1924 -- Assessment and conclusions. / Ragged schools were private philanthropic institutions which were established to counter the growing problem of destitute and neglected children in the nineteenth century. They were non-denominational in character, although essentially Protestant, their work being firmly based on the teachings of the Bible. ... Their establishment in New South Wales was due primarily to the combined influence of the pattern of ragged school movements in England and Scotland in the first half of the nineteenth century, as well as the social and economic dislocation caused by the gold rushes of the 1850's. ... Ragged schools first emerged in Sydney in 1860 and the movement lasted until 1924. Their work was limited to the inner city areas of Sydney. However, their extensive history provides a means of analysing the changing philanthropic responses to the care and education of neglected and destitute children during the latter half of the nineteenth, and early part of the twentieth centuries. / In the early years of the Sydney Ragged Schools (1860-1867), their work displayed a social reformist approach, which put the schools and their supporters to the forefront of efforts to help these types of children. In the years of consolidation and expansion (1868-1889), there developed a strong emphasis on evangelism as the chief means of reclaiming these children, so that the schools became little more than missionary agencies. Finally, their latter years (1890-1924), influenced by the physical suffering of the depression, there was a return, in part, to the social concerns of earlier years. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / 179 leaves

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This thesis analyses the experiences of ragged school pupils in England and Scotland between 1844 and 1870, focusing on the interaction between scholars and teachers and exploring the nature of the social relationships formed. Ragged schools provided free education to impoverished children in the mid-nineteenth century; by 1870 the London schools alone recorded an average attendance of 32,231 children. This thesis demonstrates the variety of interactions that took place both inside and outside the classroom, challenging simplistic interpretations of ragged school teachers as unwelcome intruders in poor children’s lives. In analysing the movement in terms of the social relationships established, this thesis counters the dominant focus on the adult as actor and child as passive subject. Wherever possible the focal point of the analysis builds on the testimony of ragged school scholars, shifting emphasis away from the actions and words of adults in positions of authority towards those of the poor and marginalised children who were the subjects of intervention. By concentrating on the voices of those who received ragged schooling, this thesis highlights the diverse experiences of ragged school scholars and underscores their agency in either rejecting or engaging with teachers. As such, it demonstrates the integral contribution of children’s testimonies when seeking to understand the impact of child-saving movements more generally. This thesis contributes to understanding on a variety of broader topics. It highlights changing attitudes towards children, education, and the poor. Through focusing on juvenile testimonies it investigates how children responded to poverty, disability, philanthropic work, and the evangelical religious message that ragged schools conveyed. The impact of Victorian philanthropy and the nature of the cross-class relationships it fostered are explored, and the significant contribution that women and working-class individuals made to such work is underscored. Finally, it sheds light on the experiences of working-class British emigrants, both their fortunes and their attachment to their homeland. A rich array of sources is used, including ragged school magazines and pamphlets, committee minutes, and annual reports. In using promotional literature in combination with local school documents, the public portrayal of children and teachers is contrasted with that found in practice. Most significant, however, are the day to day exchanges between scholars and their teacher explored through a microhistory of Compton Place ragged school in North London. Using the journals the school’s superintendent maintained between 1850 and 1867 alongside the 227 letters 57 former scholars sent him, this thesis pieces together a picture of the evolving and complex relationships forged. The journals and letters together enable an analysis that draws on the words of both ragged scholars and their teacher. Moreover, they provide rare access to how relationship developed over time and, in some cases, despite considerable geographical distance.