Map of the Week – Children not in School, 1887

This week we are looking at a thematic map from 1887. It shows the percentage of children between the ages of 6 and 12 who were not in primary school. The statistics were shown per municipality. The darkest blue color represents areas where more than 30% of children did not go to school.  A zoomable version is available at Gallica.

Map showing the percentage of children between 6 and 12 who did not attend school, 1887. Credits: Gallica (public domain)

The map shows great differences between parts of the Netherlands. In general, municipalities in the north had higher school attendance than municipalities in the west and south. There are pockets of low school attendanec in several municipalities, especially in North Brabant. For example, in the municipality of St. Hubert 39.9% of children did not go to school. Since these areas of low attendance are not clustered, they appear to be the result of specific local circumstances. Perhaps the municipality had trouble attracting a teacher, or there was a disagreement between the population and the school. Parents were reluctant to send their children to a school that was of a different religion, which my have led to children being kept from school.

The map shows that by the end of the 1800s, most children attended school. We can see that in the civil registration records, where the number of people who are unable to sign their name declines over time. But this map shows there are great differences. If you have an ancestor in the late 1800s who was illiterate, check this map to see if they lived in a municipality with poor school attendance. That might indicate a structural problem rather than a specific reason for your ancestor.

In 1887, education was not mandatory yet. The 1806 law determined that primary schools were accessible to anyone, but attendance was optional. Mandatory education was introduced in 1901, and required children between 6 and 12 to either attend school or be homeschooled. Later  this was extended, and options for homeschooling were restricted.