Ragged schools were a 19th-century English and Scottish institution maintained through charity. The schools fostered various educational and other services for poor children, such as elementary schooling, industrial training, and religious instruction. The schools were allied in 1844 with the founding of the Ragged School Union. The 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, a well-known social and industrial reformer, served as the Union's president for forty years. The ragged schools rapidly died out after 1870 with the introduction of national compulsory education, though a few remained into the 20th century.
From the description of Archives of the Shaftesbury Society: Part 1, Minutes of the Ragged School Union and Shaftesbury Society, 1844-1944 (inclusive), [microform]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122501584
