The way we were in classrooms of yesteryear

I HAVE read the recent letters about schools and schooling in general. The only exams I recall from my school days (1933-1944) were the “School Certificate” which enabled one to go to grammar school or the West Riding County Minor Scholarship, to go to the technical school.

I was born in Harrogate and went to two schools – New Park and Bilton. These were an infant school and then elementary school. This was mostly during the war years when the “powers that be” had more to worry about than education. Most of our teachers were female as the younger males were fighting for King and country. We had one middle-aged teacher who was German, Mr Fulcher, who mysteriously disappeared within the first few months of the war, no doubt to be incarcerated for the next five years.

We were never given the opportunity to learn a foreign language but did pick up a few German phrases, just in case we came across an enemy parachutist on our way to school, on foot of course. Happy school days nevertheless.

From: Peter Hyde, Kendale View, Driffield.

READING about and seeing on TV programmes about 
the considerable number of young boys and girls who play truant from school reminds me of my own school days in the 30s and 40s. I missed school, apart from childish ailments, only twice.

The first time was when Mother was visiting away from the village and taking me with her and the second was when the headmaster promised to cane me on my last day at school.

On both occasions the School Attendance Officer, also known as the “Kid Catcher”, came to our house. Mother couldn’t lie for toffee so told him the truth. Luckily he was sympathetic and no proceedings were taken.