 Each subject was taught in a very methodical, step-by-step way. London teachers were given extra advice to encourage pupils to get rid of “common London blunders.” The SBL were worried about the dangers of the ‘cockney’ accent when learning to spell. E.g. savidge for savage, noine for nine, winder for window, singin for singing. Boys were taught subjects that would help them get a job. Girls were taught subjects that would help them to become good housewives and mothers. Raising Standards Educational standards for most of the population of London in 1871 were low. One historian of schools in London has written: "more than half the people of London (in 1871) were illiterate: if they could read at all, they read with difficulty; if they could write at all, they could do little more than sign their names. Of the child population, only 2 in 5 were in any sort of school; the other three were either neglected and vagrant or were engaged in some lamentable form of child labour." The School Board of London was set up to deal with these problems. To test how successful the School Board of London was in improving standards, each year pupils were given basic tests in the 3 R’s.
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