The Research On The Relief Problems Of Poor Children In England During The Industrial Revolution

The problems of Poor children’s survival and development have been the focus in many countries in today’s society. In this thesis. I take the poor children in the industrial revolution as the research object. I research that how the English society gave relief to the poor children. The poor children of English society poverty relief roughly experienced three stages:during 16th and 17th centuries, parishes in England played a leading role in poor children’s relief; In the eighteenth century, Private charities and individuals in England played a leading role;By the end of the industrial revolution, the English central government played a leading role in poor children’s relief.This article is divided into four parts I analyze the living environment of the poor children in England before the industrial revolution and how the English society gave relief to the poor children. The mortality of Poor children in this period was higher. However, compared with the poor children in industrial revolution, their life was relatively easy and comfortable. They were usually sent to be a apprentice at a very young age. The poor law of 1601 was promulgated. Parish workhouses were set up. Parish workhouse was the practicer of the poor law of 1601. What’s more, the foundation of charity schools made the poor children have chance to receive education.In the second part, I mainly analyze the reasons of the English society’s relief to the poor children during the industrial revolution period. During the industrial revolution, the living conditions of the poor family was very poor. Hundreds of poor children went to the factories as children labour, their working environment was also very bad. Harsh environment caused infectious diseases. The poor children’s mortality rate was very high. Because of the bad situation and a lack of education, the crime rate of the poor childrenbegan to rise during this period. In the influence of John Wesley’s evangelical movement, a lot of upper-middle-class people started into philanthropy. The development of science and technology made the poor children not adapt to the demand of the production socialization. In addition, with the emergence of a series of problems, in the late industrial revolution, English central government began to give up liberalism policy and played a leading role in poor children’s relief.In the third part, I analyze how the the English folk society aided to the poor children. English folk charity played an important role in poor children’s education during the early industrial revolution. The foundation of Sunday schools, Ragged schools, Reformatory schools and the application of monitorial education system made the poor children learn more religious knowledge and practical skills. They improved their cultural levels and moral cultivation. In addition, the foundling hospitals and parish workhouses still played an important role and provided living places for more orphans and abandoned children.In the fourth part, I analyze how the English government gave aid to the poor children. The power of the folk charity was very limited, so the English central government took the responsibility of poor children’s relief in the late industrial revolution. At first, the English central government made a series of factory laws to protect the basic rights and interests of children labours in the factory. Also, the English central government began to pay attention to the education of poor children. A special education institution, the committee of council on education was founded, which supplyed the education funding and guidance for the popularity of compulsory education in England.In the conclusion part, I analyse the influence of English society’s relief to poor children in the industrial revolution. After the industrial revolution, English education legislation and factory legislation were continuously improved which moved an important step for the establishment of British welfare state.