{"id":1381,"date":"2014-11-12T23:32:48","date_gmt":"2014-11-12T23:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/plattwarmemorial.org\/?page_id=1381"},"modified":"2019-09-28T10:46:04","modified_gmt":"2019-09-28T10:46:04","slug":"platt-national-school","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/platt-national-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Platt School"},"content":{"rendered":"

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1914 – 1918<\/h3>\n

By the start of the Great War, Platt School had been based in its current location for just over two years, having relocated from the old schoolhouse next to the church in 1912, where it had been since 1846.<\/p>\n

Along with the seasonal breaks at Christmas and Easter, the school year was also punctuated by the fruiting and hop picking holidays, which occurred between June-July and August-September respectively. During the first two years at the new premises, there was an average of about 60 children in attendance, with their character described in a 1912 government inspection as being \u2018bright, and interested in their work.\u2019<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/span>Religious instruction formed the backbone of the school day, with special services conducted by the local vicar taking place throughout the year. Every year in May the school also celebrated \u2018Empire Day\u2019 when the children would draw and salute the Union Jack, sing patriotic songs such as Jerusalem and the National Anthem, hear stories from the British Empire, and learn about its history. On one fine day in early summer, before the fruiting holiday began, the maypole would be erected and parents and friends were invited to watch the children dance around it, whilst they were served cups of tea.<\/p>\n

On 3 August 1914, one day before war was declared, the school was shut for the bank holiday. Two days later the Rev. Brand paid a visit, which was not unusual, however on this occasion it seems impossible to imagine that he would not have discussed with the children, or at the very least the teaching staff, events which had occurred the day before.<\/p>\n

Unlike the Second World War, which had a very tangible effect on the school, life at Platt throughout 1914-1918 appears to have carried on much as it had done before the war. The school log book makes no mention of the conflict and primarily concerns itself with attendance numbers, sickness and various visits by inspectors and the school nurse. However, reading between the lines it is evident that the harsh economic and social conditions imposed on the Home Front were increasingly borne out in the children who, as the war progressed, fell sick with illnesses more readily associated with poor living conditions and malnutrition. On one occasion a Wrotham Heath woman living on Windmill Hill, whose husband was serving overseas, found herself taken to court on account of the \u2018verminous condition\u2019 of her daughter. The lady explained that she was engaged in Government Work and had to walk eight miles to work and back every day just to make ends meet. The rather unsympathetic judge fined her 10 shillings (over \u00a3100 today) for the \u2018offence\u2019.<\/p>\n

Illness was of course not only brought on by living conditions. The winters during the war years are described as being especially hard, with numerous accounts of heavy snowfall closing the school for several days at a time, and frequent numbers of children being taken sick with winter colds and other seasonal ailments. Quite often those children who did make it to school were unsuitably clothed for the freezing conditions and were immediately sent to warm themselves up in front of the school stove.<\/p>\n

In December 1916 the school was closed for five weeks due to an outbreak of measles, and in late 1918 the flu gripped a large percentage of children, necessitating the closure of the school again for about a month.<\/p>\n

On 11 November 1918 (Armistice Day), the school was poignantly shut for two weeks, although the reason was more likely to be connected with the ongoing flu pandemic.<\/p>\n

In early January 1919, an afternoon\u2019s holiday was given to enable the children to attend a tea and treat given in honour of peace. That summer the King gave the country a week\u2019s holiday, and on 11 November 1919 the children from Platt attended their first Remembrance Day Service at St. Mary\u2019s Church.<\/p>\n

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