Catching Truants

In 1880 education had become compulsory for children up to the age of 10 and parents were made responsible for their children’s attendance at school. In Yarmouth, as in many other places, the authorities had great difficulty in making sure children did attend school.

Whenever there was a chance of earning extra income, poorer parents encouraged their children to play truant and do whatever they could to earn some pennies.

Truanting boys would hang around the fish wharf in Great Yarmouth to steal herrings, which they sold to disreputable shopkeepers.

When Arthur was recruited as an attendance officer in 1892, truancy rates were about 20%. His job was to round up and catch the truants and to visit their homes to make sure parents sent them to school and to prosecute persistent offenders. He was very successful. He could run fast, and though his attitude was tough he was very fair and managed to persuade parents that he was not their enemy. In his first six months the truancy rate dropped and within two years the School Board were able to close the special Truant School in his area.