British Council of Socialist Sunday Schools and later the Socialist Fellowship

The origins of the Socialist Sunday School movement can be traced back to the 1892 Great London Dock Strike. During the strike Mrs Mary Gray of Battersea organised a soup kitchen for children of the strikers and finding that many of them had little or no education she began to teach them about the causes of poverty. The movement soon spread and by 1912 there were approximately 120 Socialist Sunday Schools.

The Schools taught children about socialism and encouraged them to join the broader labour movement's fight for a fairer society. Central to the Socialist Sunday School teachings were the ten 'Socialist Precepts', which combined the principles of socialism and Christianity. The precepts paralleled the Ten Commandments of the Bible. For example, 'No. 4, Be just and fair to all men, Bow down or worship none; Judge man by what he tries to do, Or has already done'. Many labour activists were products of the Socialist Sunday School and the Labour Church Sunday Schools.

For the purpose of fair representation on its National Executive Committee the British Council of Socialist Sunday Schools divided the country into 3 groups (District Unions) namely Scotland, North of England and London and the South. District Unions were made up of schools in the area that were affiliated to the National Council. District Unions also paid an affiliation fee to the National Council for the number of Schools represented on the District.

The movement met a great deal of opposition from local authorities. It was perceived as a subversive, irreligious force and as a consequence prevented from holding meetings in many public buildings. Many of the schools were aligned to the Independent Labour Party (ILP). During the Inter-war period the movement declined, due to the effects of the First World War and also because of the split between the ILP and main Labour group in 1931. However Socialist Sunday Schools continued in some areas until the 1970s.

In 1965 the National Council of British Socialist Sunday Schools changed its name to The Socialist Fellowship.

From the guide to the Socialist Sunday School Collection, 1894-1970s, (Labour History Archive and Study Centre)