The teaching of literature: eighteenth century, from 1770

In the 1770s there was a quite marked change in teachers' attitudes to literature. Not only did they now reckon to teach it, as well as present it, but they began to see that it had value for ordinary children as well as for those in educated homes. J. Butler's Proposals, 1772, look ahead to both developments. He analyses society into seven classes: (i) ‘those bred to independent fortunes’; (ii) those ‘intended for the professions’; (iii) the army; (iv) mercantile employment; (v) mechanic trades; (vi) labour; (vii) service. The children of labourers, who may start work at the age of seven or eight, can learn to read if they are well taught, and they would be better taught if the mistresses were better paid. All children should learn to read, because only then would employment opportunities be opened up and the dissociation between labour and learning ended. Their reading should not be solely vocational:

More emphasis on the teaching of literature meant more emphasis on teaching children to understand what they read.