The Second World War The War of 1935-45 brought dramatic changes, good and bad, to schools in Britain. After the disruption of evacuation and the horrors of bombing in the Blitz, the Government introduced many reforms as part of its determination to show Britain was fighting for a better life for its citizens. Evacuees and the Blitz When the war came in September, 1939, plans had already been made for ‘Operation Pied Piper’, which was to evacuate school children from bombthreatened cities to the safer countryside. Clutching their gas-masks and belongings, some 750,000 were led by their teachers on to trains and buses, and swept away to some vaguely known destination. They were billeted with families in the ‘reception areas’. Their hosts were often shocked to find how rough, dirty and ignorant town children could be. They found children with head-lice and scabies, and some were even sown into clothes or shod with cardboard. For the children, the countryside could be strange: some were surprised to find that apples grew on trees, or that cows (seen only in books) were bigger than dogs. Schools taught them on a shift system, sharing buildings with local children. There were sometimes fights between the two groups. The evacuees roamed lanes and beaches, studying natural history in open-air lessons. They benefited from fresh air and better food, though they were homesick and drifted back into the cities. Many schools were hit by bombs: 1,150 of London’s 1200 schools were damaged! There were tragic incidents where bombs killed teachers and pupils in their classrooms. The pilotless Flying Bombs (V.1s) of 1944 caused more waves f evacuation from London. Schooling suffered from changes of teacher, form air-raid disruption and from broken nights spent in shelters. However, improved welfare services did give children some benefits. Many more received school meals and milk. Mass vaccination attacked some of the child-killing diseases, like diphtheria.
The Butler Act The picture shows a 1942 propaganda poster by Abram Games. It was on of a series showing features of British life that the country was fighting to improve. A brand new, attractive-looking school replaces a bombwrecked old-fashioned one. The poster illustrates ideas for education that the government worked on from 1941 onwards. R.A. Butler, Minister of Education, proposed a plan, ‘Educational Reconstruction’, in 1943. Little progress had been made in the 1930’s, but now every child was to receive free primary and secondary schooling to the age of fifteen (later sixteen). The widelypraised Butler Act was passed in 1944, and it remains the basis of English education.
Section A Read the section “Evacuees and the Blitz” Now complete the following sentences to show that you understand the main ideas 1. “Operation Pied Piper” was designed to ______________________________? (You must use your own words) 2 marks
2. What form of transport was used and say something about their knowledge of the place to which they were being taken. (Use your own words) 2 marks
3. The children possessed their personal belongings and something else. What? 1 mark
4. If you didn’t know the meaning of the word “billeted”, could you work out what it means from: “They were billeted with families”. If so, say what you think the word means. 2 marks
5. Near the end of the section: “Evacuees and the Blitz” the passage tells us that the children’s schooling had been badly disrupted. What single word then prepares for good things which also happened? 1 mark
6. Name some of the good things which this word introduces. 3 marks
11 marks
Section B Try to identify 5 words or experiences you would not expect a pupil in the 21st century to use in every day language. 1 2 3 4 5 5 marks
In this section you are asked to show your understanding of vocabulary. In a thesaurus the words below are given as being close in meaning to words used in this piece of writing. Complete each table with words from the article- (from start of the piece of writing to the word “diphtheria” at the end of the section headed “Evacuees and the Blitz”. Words from the Thesaurus
Words from the article
1. Significant 2. Withdraw 3. Prowl 3marks Words after the section heading “The Butler Act” 1. Brain Washing 2. Demonstrates 3. Suggested 3 marks 11 marks
Section C In this section you are asked to show your understanding of the main ideas and supporting ideas. Answer the following questions using your own words. 1. For what reason sis the government introduce many reforms? 2
marks
2. Explain (by information from the passage and perhaps your own knowledge of literature) why the evacuation of thousands of children was known as “Operation Pied Piper� 2 marks
3. What 3 aspects of the evacuated children surprised the hosts of these children? 3 marks
4. On the other hand, name two surprising discoveries made by the city children who visited the countryside for the first time 2 marks
5. What was the cause of even more children having to be evacuated later in the war? 1 mark
10 marks
Section D
1. What is the idea being expressed by the poster? marks
2
2. Quote the words under the section dealing with “The Butler Act” which seem to sum up the message of the poster. 2 marks
3. The writer’s main purpose in the paragraph under “The Butler Act” is to… 2 marks
3a. In some detail, what techniques were used by the artist who designed the poster in order to demonstrate what the Butler Act was trying to achieve? 5 marks
11marks
Total 43 marks
Marking Scheme for Teachers Section A 1. To evacuate school children from bomb-threatened (1) cities to safer countryside (1)- own words. 2 marks 2. Trains and buses(1). Idea of: to some vaguely known destinations (1) 2 marks 3. Gas-masks (1). 1 mark 4. Billeted = housed etc 2 marks 5. However 1 mark 6. School meals, milk, mass vaccinations 2 marks 11 marks Section B Table 1 Evacuation, bombing, Blitz, gas-masks, billeted, reception areas, evacuees, pilotless Flying Bombs (use own judgement) 5 marks Table 2 Dramatic Evacuate Roam Propaganda Illustrates Proposed 6 marks
11 marks Section C 1. Idea of determination to show Britain fighting for a better life for its citizens 2 marks 2. Pupils to explain idea of Pied Piper reference. 2 marks 3. Idea of ignorance. Idea of infected with conditions associated with bad hygiene. Desperately poor standard of clothing. 3 marks 4. Apples grew on trees (1), cows were bigger than dogs (1) 2 marks
5. Germany’s use of “Pilotless Flying Bombs”
1 mark 10 marks 11 marks
Knowledge of Genre- Idea of bright future- out with dull old style school and future in with bright modern.
Section D- Knowledge of Genre 1. Essentially the poster and the Act show the way forward for a glorious new era in education in post war Britain. 2 marks 2. “A brand new, attractive looking school replaces a bomb-wrecked old-fashioned one”. 2 marks 3. Idea of little having been achieved in the 1930’s in terms of education but the Butler Act was to restructure the Education System 2 marks 3a. Essentially modern section= bright, clean, airy, attractive Stirring slogan- pupils. Pride your Britain “Fight for it now”. Modern Building etc Contrast- Old fashioned, broken blackboard, bombed out shell of old style school. Writing on board implies old fashioned, dull teaching methods. (Use own judgement). Any 5 points 11 marks