Compulsory Schooling (week 2)

Question 1

When did schooling become compulsory throughout the majority of the Western world?

Answer 1

• Late 20th century
• With the backing of the chirch and the state
• culminated in a widespread shift of children from paid labour to schooling

Question 2

When was schooling first made complusory in Australia?

Answer 2

• 1880 in NSW
• passing of the Education Act 1880

Question 3

Court action for truancy and school default

Answer 3

• with the passing of the Welfare Act 1939 and the Public Instruction Act 1880, from 1939 to 1987 court action could be taken for school default
• Under this legislation, a child who, without lawful excuse, failed to attend school regularly could be dealt with as a neglected or uncontrollable child and sentenced to traning schools or institutions as a juvenile offender
  
  • Reformatory Schools Act 1866
  • Industrial Schools Act 1886

Question 4

Discretionary placement

Extra judicial agencies

Answer 4

• placement in insititutions was discretionary and it wa snot unusual to be sent to detentions centres such as Parramatta Girls Home where the children recieved no formal education
• complusory schooling regulations permitted extra-judicial agencies a great deal of discretion in delaing with truants and intervening in their family life after release from detention
  
  • as a condition of release under probation, truants were sometimes also required to attend child guidance clinics, psychiatric counseling or special after school programs