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== Socialist Sunday Schools ==

== Socialist Sunday Schools ==

In [[Great Britain]], Mrs. Mary Gray, a member of the [[Social Democratic Federation]], who ran a soup kitchen for the children of the British dock strike, initiated the Socialist Sunday School movement in '''1892'''. Her aim, on realizing they had little or no education, was to influence and educate them and make them aware of their socialist responsibilities and provide what was lacking in their day schools. She started the first Socialist Sunday School with only one other besides her own two children but twenty years later there were approximately 120 of these schools throughout the country, 20 of them being in London itself.

In [[Great Britain]], Mrs. Mary Gray, a member of the [[Social Democratic Federation]], who ran a soup kitchen for the children of the British dock strike, initiated the Socialist Sunday School movement in '''1892'''. Her aim, on realizing they had little or no education, was to influence and educate them and make them aware of their socialist responsibilities and provide what was lacking in their day schools. She started the first Socialist Sunday School (SSS) with only one other besides her own two children but twenty years later there were approximately 120 of these schools throughout the country, 20 of them being in London itself.

Socialist Sunday Schools in [[Great Britain]] thus arose in response to a widespread feeling as to the inadequacy of the orthodox Sunday Schools as a training ground for the children of Socialists and of the need for some organized and systematic method of presenting the Socialist point of view and of teaching the ideals and principles of Socialism to the children, youths and maidens in the country. The main purpose was to supply the Socialist movement with fearless, capable and conscientious thinkers.

Socialist Sunday Schools in [[Great Britain]] thus arose in response to a widespread feeling as to the inadequacy of the orthodox Sunday Schools as a training ground for the children of Socialists and of the need for some organized and systematic method of presenting the Socialist point of view and of teaching the ideals and principles of Socialism to the children, youths and maidens in the country. The main purpose was to supply the Socialist movement with fearless, capable and conscientious thinkers.

A national movement, the National Council of British Socialist Sunday Schools Union (NCBSSU), formed in '''1909''', traces its origin to a school opened in [[Glasgow]] by Caroline Martyn and Archie McArthur. It was established as a protest against, and an alternative to, the perceived middle-class bias and assumptions of the regular churches. Its aims were to help the schools in their teaching of [[Socialism]]. The schools were grouped in District Unions and for the first ten years were affiliated to the (NCBSSU) Council. However in '''1920''' their Constitution was amended to allow direct school affiliation which meant there was wide representation at the Annual Conference.  

A national movement, the National Council of British Socialist Sunday Schools Union (NCBSSSU), formed in '''1909''', traces its origin to a school opened in [[Glasgow]] by Caroline Martyn and Archie McArthur. It was established as a protest against, and an alternative to, the perceived middle-class bias and assumptions of the regular churches. Its aims were to help the schools in their teaching of [[Socialism]]. The schools were grouped in District Unions and for the first ten years were affiliated to the (NCBSSSU) Council. However in '''1920''' their Constitution was amended to allow direct school affiliation which meant there was wide representation at the Annual Conference.  

It was their view that public education should be secular and Socialist Sunday Schools were for purely educational bodies and therefore their hymns did not have theological tendencies or the Christian dogma which was preached in religious churches of the day. They worked in close harmony with the [[Labor Movement]] and were concerned with the spiritual and social objective of the human race with regard to daily life and conduct.

It was their view that public education should be secular and Socialist Sunday Schools were for purely educational bodies and therefore their hymns did not have theological tendencies or the Christian dogma which was preached in religious churches of the day. They worked in close harmony with the [[Labor Movement]] and were concerned with the spiritual and social objective of the human race with regard to daily life and conduct.