Watched a very interesting programme tonight on BBC4, about the role Sunday Schools played in educating children from poor backgrounds.
In the late eighteenth century teaching the working classes to read and write was seen as a radical ploy, and William Pitt tried to ban them by an act of parliament, fearing a revolution if the great unwashed had access to political pamphlets.
Many children used this step to further their education, including quite a few M.P.'s.
In 1950 50% of children went to Sunday School, and today it's less than 5%, and I suppose that includes those who are only there to secure a place at a church school.
People spoke about how they learned about others, and working for the greater good, rather than always themselves.
Although an atheist nowadays, coming from a long line of Methodists, and attending Sunday School myself until the age of sixteen, it certainly helped shape the person I am today.
BBC NEWS | Magazine | How Sunday school shaped Britain