School Discipline
The following are some reports of parents being taken to court for their children’s non-attendance at school. William S Prentice was named as the Attendance Officer, on behalf of Stowupland Board School .{ EADT 6th June 1882}
Following the 1870 Education Act some parents seem to have struggled to comply with sending their children regularly to school. William Smith argued his children had such severe chilblains they could not get their shoes on. The bench did not consider this a sufficient reason and warned the father that if the children did not attend he would be fined and risked prison if he could not pay.
In the case of Robert Pegg he argued he had 9 children and he could not afford to get them enough bread never mind being ‘shod’. But the bench ordered that since the child had been in school since the order was issued then again an order for attendance was issued and no fine. {Bury Free Press ;02 March 1878}
1882 Clement Buckle of Creeting St Peter summoned by William S Prentice, Attendance Officer, on behalf of Stowupland Board School for ‘not causing his children Sarah and Thomas Buckle to attend school regularly. His wife said she ‘wanted the children home by turns to see to her as she was ill. Mr Prentice said the children had only attended about half as many times as they ought’. Defendant was fined 5s, which was paid. { Bury Free Press, 10th June 1882}.
1885, George Bird and David Garnham from Stowupland were charged with neglecting to send their children to school. They were each fined 2s 6d. { Thetford and Watton Times : 19th December 1885}
