School terms 1880s

Posted on August 31, 2014 in General

The school year was much longer in 1880. The Public Instruction Act of 1880 states that there were two ‘half-years’(semesters) with a two week mid-winter break and three weeks at Christmas.

School grades were arranged differently to today with some grades extending over 18 months. The grades were 1^st Class (three half-years), 2^nd Class (three half-years), 3^rd Class (three half-years), 4^th Class (two half-years) and 5^th Class (two half-years). Most students left school at age 13 or 14 to commence work.