A BIT OF HISTORY

Primary education in England

In the UK, Elementary schools were provided in 1870. In this period, the main characteristics were:

They were made for children from 14 and they were created for working class. The curriculum was focused on the 3R´s that means Reading, working and rithmetic. The objetives that this schools were based on the social discipline, some examples were: the need of punctuality, obedience, conformity, etc. The classes were supervised by a teacher that sometimes was helped by other older students.

The law which was established in this period, was called Hadow Reports. It introduced the division into primary and secondary phases with the break at age 11. The principal purpose of primary education was 'to supply the pupils with what is essential to their healthy growth, physical, intellectual and moral, during this stage of their development' (Hadow 1931:139).

Some of the characteristics of primary classes were that every class should have less tan 40 students, they should be focused on practical activities instead of teaching lots of knowledge, they used methods which give importance to the collaborative work and the interests of the children.

Primary education in Spain

The first law that regulated the education of Spain was called, “Ley Moyano” in 1857.

The carateristics of Elementary schools were:

•  There were different classrooms for boys and girls. The coeducation was forbidden. The ones that were for boys they had to learn agriculture, geometry, technical drawing, physics and history. The ones they were for girls they had to learn domestic hygiene and domestic chores. These schools had a religious character and the church had a great importance. In the superior school was very important the scientific method. Everybody had to have books, it was obligatory.

• This law introduced the Compulssory education between age 6-9. There were two main periods: elemental that was only free for that who can not pay it(age 6-9) and superior (age 9-12). The curriculum was focused on lecture, writing, mental calculation, religion, grammar, arithmetic and notions of agriculture, industry and business.

• The main purpose of primary education in 1857 was to learn the knowledges that were used in everyday life