Those were the best days of my life!

Whether you love or loathe school you can’t deny that at some point it played a very big part in your life. A new exhibition at Goole Museum aims to show people that things were not always this way.

Today children are expected to go to school five days a week and some parents even face penalties for taking their children out of school during term time, however life wasn’t always this way. Education in England was not made compulsory until 1880 and a new exhibition, ‘Best Days of Your Life?’, at Goole Museum is aiming to show people the differences between now and then.

The exhibition, which was researched and produced by Goole Museum volunteers, shows us what education was available to the public before Goole became a town in 1826. It will also highlight the changes that were made once education became compulsory and the building of Local Authority schools at the start of the 20th century.

Curator Debbie Hardy told us: ‘The volunteers have done a great job putting this exhibition together. We have set up an area to look and feel like a Victorian school. Why not come along and dress up as a Victorian scholar and try your skills at copperplate hand-writing using a slate?

‘You can also fill in a report card and tell us all about your best – or worst – memories of your school days. Or see if you can spot somebody you know in the photograph albums!’
As well as photographs from Goole Grammar school there are many other objects around the museum to view, as well as some interesting loaned items. The exhibition is on until  Saturday, June 10. With free admission and lift access you have no excuses not to come and have a look around.