When did schooling become compulsory? How far did education differ between girls and boys? And why does the British school year start in September? Speaking to Emma Slattery Williams, Susannah Wright answers some of our listeners’ most popular questions on the history of British schools – from the establishment of the earliest schools to the surprisingly late abolition of corporal punishment.

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Authors

Emma Slattery Williams was <BBC History Revealed’s staff writer until August 2022, covering all areas of history – from Egyptian pharaohs and pirate queens to Queen Victoria and Marilyn Monroe. She also compiled HistoryExtra’s Victorian newsletter and interviewed historians on the HistoryExtra podcast.. She studied both History and English at Swansea University.

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