Poor children during the Victorian era often lived in poverty with little access to education or toys, and some were forced to work from a young age to support their families. Wealthy children by comparison attended private schools, had access to a variety of toys, and did not need to work. The workhouse was a grim place where orphans and disabled children were sent to live and work in exchange for basic necessities. Over time, reforms improved conditions for children, requiring education for those aged 5 to 10 and limiting child labor.

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2. Poor Children
 There was no money for toys, nowhere to play
except alleys and yards.
 Many poor children lived in tiny country cottages or
city slums.
 If they had any toys they would be ragdolls or cheap
penny toys.
 Children had to work for little or no money.
 Most family's couldn’t afford to take their kids to
school.

3. Rich Children
 In victorian times you were either a rich child or a
poor child.
 Their toys would be toy soldiers or maybe a train set.
 They would go away to a good boarding school or
would be tutored by a governor at home.

4. The child workhouse
 The workhouse was a place where orphans and
disabled children went.
 They would get food and a bed in return for work like
picking oakum.
 The children who were born in the workhouse often
stayed in the workhouse.
 You had to get up at 7am and work till 4pm and bed
by 8pm every day.
 The punishment for not obeying the rules was
nothing but bread and water for 2 days.

5. Victorian schools
 Only richer families could afford to pay the school
fees, though some schools gave free places to poor
boys.
 Poor girls did not go to school when the Victorian
age began meaning they had little education.
 Sometimes, wealthy girls may have attended
boarding schools.
 Ragged Schools were schools for poor children. One
of the first was started in Portsmouth.

6. Chimney sweeps
 The children were frequently underfed so that they would
remain small enough for the work.
 The work was extremely dangerous, severe burns, falls
and lung disease killed many of the children.
 Children were not necessary, the job could be done,
more safely, just a well, by using brushes.
 Children as young as 3 were used for the job. - They
"outgrew" the job around 9 or 10.

7. New laws for schools
 Reformers campaigned for new laws to improve
working conditions for children and give children the
opportunity for schooling.
 In 1870 Parliament said there had to be a school in
every town and village.
 In the 1860s a farmer might pay 6 pence (6d) a week
for each child.
 By 1880, the law said that all children aged 5 to 10
must go to primary school, so every child would
receive at least a basic education.

8. Comparison!
Rich children Poor children
 they would always go to the  If they did not work
top schools whatever the properly , they would not
price. eat dinner!
 They would get everything
 There was no fun it was
all work
they wanted.
 They would be lucky if
 They were fed proper they would live to 40
nutritious food.  Their houses were literally
 And they would get big shaks!
houses and lots of helpers.
Verdict: rich children win!

9. I hope you liked it!