How Schools Change

Over the years, schools have changed a lot. During the 1800's, teachers were usually more strict and the children did not get as many privileges as they do now. Teachers were usually women who wore long dresses, and when they punished you they were very solemn about it. Most schools had only one room with about twenty to forty desks. Each student had one slate to write on, and very few books to use. Schools did not serve hot lunches in the cafeteria. (In fact, there was no cafeteria then.) Children brought their lunches in metal lunch pails. In the classroom, the boys often sat on one side of the room, and the girls on the other. The boys played games like baseball and marbles. The girls jumped rope and played jacks.

Today things are different. Teachers are not as strict, and they are not only young, but old as well. Our schools are bigger, and have many rooms. We have a book for nearly every subject.

In the future, school might come to us through the television. We might have robots for teachers. The schools then will have computers instead of calculators. The games we play will probably be computer games instead of soccer or jumprope. But no matter how schools change, they will still be the greatest learning places on earth.