Morning hands inspection
Each morning prior to entering the schoolroom the teacher would inspect every child’s hands to ensure that they were clean enough to begin their schoolwork.
As children often had to do chores to help out at home and then walk some distance to school, by the time they arrived their hands were grubby. They were up early and everyone in the family was expected to do their fair share of work. Having your own veggie garden, fruit trees, chooks and sometimes your own goat for milk meant there was plenty to do.