Attendance
Reasons for poor attendance or no attendance at all:-
Near harvest consequently many children away with parents (July, 1863).
..... prolongation of the Harvest (September, 1863).
Thin attendance because of poor weather (February, 1864).
Several older boys away, potato setting (April, 1864).
Many girls absent - cleaning homes - preparing for the Tetney Fair next week (July, 1864).
Improved attendance. Gleaning time ended (October, 1865).
Attendance thin this afternoon; one of the scholars, Reb Stocks, being buried (March, 1866).
May Day hiring of servants, Grimsby (May, 1866).
Louth May Day Fair (May, 1866).
Fatigued by the previous days pleasure - Annual Trip to Cleethorpes (August, 1867).
Day of Humiliation and prayer in the village, because of the cattle plague (April, 1866).
Chas Haith, James Mumby, Thomas Chapman and Samuel Peart went to see the Steam Cultivator at work and were 50 minutes late.
Only 26 present - parents are so greedy that they will not pay for three days; if 2d. or 3d. per week paid all the expense, there would be some reason for so doing, but full cost last year was 9d. per week for each child (July, 1868).
A load of coal brought - C. Grimoldby, G. Haith and L. Parish - spent most of the afternoon getting it in, gave them 2d. each, did not mark their attendance (December, 1868).
Mrs. Coxon has had two children paid by two gentlemen, and wanted to pay nothing for the third, but Mr. Hay said she was to pay 2d. per week for Betsy; for several weeks past Betsy has been a week in arrears, which I have required her to bring. Last week an elder sister came with 2d. saying mother had no more; today another sister came saying she had paid already, and mother was not going to pay for half a day, meaning I suppose that Betsy had only been half a day present one week, but such is not the case, she was a day present and accordingly I required the elder sister to pay the money or take Betsy home, which she did (25th May, 1868).
Mrs. Coxon's eldest daughter came this morning denying that anything was owing, and brought Betsy to school without the twopence; but I sent them both home; then her mother came full of fury, vowing she would never pay the twopence for the half day. After a great deal of unpleasant altercations I gave her Betsy's copy-book and the twopence she broughtyesterday telling her that unless she would pay the 4d. shemight take her home again; which after a good while she did,threatening to tell Mr. Hay etc. etc. After dinner Harvis brought the 4d. saying Betsy was coming this afternoon. This said Mrs. Coxon had all her children attending school for nothing during the former Master's time, and ever since I have been here Jarvis and Elizabeth have been paid for, and yet she could bully and threaten the Schoolmaster as if he were her slave. So much for the system of paying for children.' (26th May, 1868).
Only 14 present except 5 new scholars, parents begrudge 2d. or 3d. for parts of a week, and yet every child has most likely spent several pence at the Fair (July, 1896)
... epidemic of measles and scarlatina in the North End of the village (August, 1879).
Whooping Cough (November, 1880). Letter from the Education Department 19th December, 1890 to the Tetney School Board:-
"I am to enquire the names of the children referred to, and whether my Lords rightly understand, that they are a source of contamination to the other children, and that the parents have been remonstrated with to no purpose.
If this is so, my Lords will be prepared to support your Board in excluding the children."
According to the "Account of Fees Book 1874 - 1884 the number of children attending the school increased from an average 110 to 130 in October, 1882. This was probably due to a Ladies' School in Tetney being forced to close and the girls had to come to the Board School.
Many children are ill having broken out with a rash which Dr. Hamborough calls 'Foreign Scab' which is very contagious by contact (July, 1883).
..... Ring worms and measles (April, 1885).
..... Influenza (May, 1891).
The Elementary Education Act of 1876, which was designed to improve attendance, stated that children under ten could not be employed, while between ten and fourteen years they could be employed if they had a Labour Certificate (called a 'Dunces Pass'). A form of the main provisions was printed and the School Board had them posted in prominent positions in the village. Local Bye-Laws were framed and they were sanctioned by Queen Victoria in August, 1878. At a School Board meeting on 14th October, 1878, Henry Stampe was appointed Attendance Officer at a salary of £6 per annum. His first task was to carry out a census in the parish of all children to be affected by the new bye-laws. His census revealed that there were about 165 children in the parish between five and thirteen, and all but ten of these attended a school. The parents of the ten children were issued with notices requiring their children's attendance at school.
The Attendance Officer did his job well but caused many disputes for the Board because if bye-laws were broken the Board could take out a Summons against a parent but Local Magistrates were not really interested and fines were minimal. The maximum fine being 6s. and the School Board would have high legal costs. There is evidence in the Board documents that legal advice was sought concerning taking particular parents to court and that some parents were taken to court. "I was away at Grimsby Crown Court in the case of the Schoolboard v. Hodgeon." (Log Book 13th January, 1882) "..... further information be obtained respecting the non-payment of fine to Justices by Mrs. Loughton." (School Board Minute Book 6th April, 1900).
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PARENTS
The Tetney School Board hereby give notice to all parents that all children are admitted to the Board School without payment of fee. The fee grant of 10s. Od. per scholar to be received from the Education Department as well as the ordinary Annual Grant, is paid on the average attendance and therefore every single absence from school causes a serious loss to the Rate payers. Now that Education is free the Board will deem it to be its duty to insist on regular attendance and to enforce the same more strictly. In every case of persistent and unnecessary absence a summons before the Magistrates will be taken.
By Order of the Board,
Robinson Stark, Hon. Clerk.
(Taken from the School Board Minute Book, 6th November, 1891).
This letter, sent to all parents in Tetney was the result of the Code of 1890 and 1891 which said that the Education Department will pay grants on average attendance and not on results achieved in examinations; also that elementary education was to be made free to all children between the ages of three and fourteen years.
Attendance Officer appointed (September, 1885).
Joseph Cuckson be appointed Attendance Officer on the following terms ..... go round once a week and hunt up absentees ..... enter in his book the names of children he finds about the streets who ought to be at school ..... be allowed 10s. For taking out a summons and providing same ..... salary be £5 per annum.
In 1901, the Attendance Bye-Laws were altered to allow children to attend the school up to the age of fourteen years.
The average attendance for 1903 to 1904 was for the Mixed School 45.7 and the Infants 26.4 (Board of Education, Annual Report1st March, 1904).
Several away chasing the Hounds (November, 1913).
Memorial service for the late Bishop of Barbados who was a Pupil Teacher at this school (November, 1916).
Beaten by the snows. Dried the clothes of those who came wet and kept the children near the fire (January, 1918).
School ordered to be closed for one month on account of fever in the school house (May, 1903).
..... examined the throats of the children and teachers; and to ensure that the school was disinfected thoroughly in view of the recent cases of diptheria (14th November, 1939). Medical Officer of Health closed the school until 4th December. Six children in Scartho Isolation Hospital (16th November, 1939).
Source:
1. School Log Books 1863 to the present day.
2. School Board Minute Book, 1891 to 1903.
3. Board of Education, Annual Report, 1st March, 1904.
