Why Does School Start In September?
8 August 2017, 16:30 | Updated: 9 August 2017, 11:58
Why is it that the school year starts in September, instead of January?
Question
Why does the academic year start in September?
Johnny, Ipswich
Answer
The Education Act of 1899 made school compulsory for all children. This caused an uproar, especially for working class families who needed their children to work on the farm. A long holiday in the summer months meant that children could work on the fields and return back to school in September.
Jim, Walthamstow
Qualification: Lecturer in Educational Studies
