There are a lot of long words in this text!

Schooling in Wivenhoe.

In 1871 THE NATIONAL RETURN RELATING TO ELEMENTARY EDUCATION LISTS SEVEN ADVENTURE SCHOOLS (PRIVATELY OWNED)  IN WIVENHOE THESE SEVEN SCHOOLS CATERED BETWEEN THEM FOR 139 CHILDREN.

a SCHOOL INSPECTOR IN 1874 CONDEMNED DAME SCHOOLS AS:A VERY GREAT HINDRANCE TO EDUCATION ' AND REJOICES THAT THEY ARE ON THEIR WAY OUT AND HAS THIS TO SAY " BUT WHERE THERE IS NO SCHOOL BOARD AS AT WIVENHOE , THESE INEFFICIENT SCHOOLS ABOUND ......THEY ROB THE EFFICIENT SCHOOLS OF THEIR SCHOLARS OF THEIR PROPER EDUCATION.

DAME SCHOOLS GRADUALLY DIED OUT , ONE OR TWO WOMEN RAN !MINDING! CLASSES IN PARLOURS THEY NEVER LEARNED MUCH , IT WAS A CASE OF INFANT CARE WHILST THEIR MOTHERS WANTED THEM OUT OF THE WAY. .MISS HYDE'S LADIES SCHOOL(1870-1885) AND MISS PROCTOR'S(1874)WERE BOTH RATHER BETTER, QUITE EXPENSIVE AND HAD SOME SNOB APPEAL.

THE LAST IN LINE OF THE ONE MAN SCHOOL WAS THAT OF MR.WILLIAM JAMES SMITH.WHICH LASTED TILL 1914. HE OFFERED,IN HIS LITTLE SCHOOL BEHIND THE POST OFFICE IN QUEENS ROAD,FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY MISS HYDE, A KIND OF SECONDARY EDUCATION WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON CIVIL SERVICE,

.  THERE WERE ABOUT 25SCHOLARS AND THEY ALL WORE RED HATS. THEY PAID NINE PENCE A WEEK  IN THE 1890'S AND BOUGHT THEIR OWN BOOKS .

OTHER TEACHERS WERE MRS. MARY HYDE 1855 ONWARDS MISS FANNY BROWNE AND MISS ELIZABETH FAIRS IN THE 1850'S.  MISS JANE HYDE WAS A FORMER MISTRESS  AT THE BRITISH SCHOOL.

IT IS NOTICEABLE THAT ALL WIVENHOE GIRL'S SCHOOLS WERE RUN BY MARRIED WOMEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY BUT BY THE 19CENTURY THESE WERE ALL SPINSTERS