Bell Lancaster School Room System

Located on the first floor of the Museum of National Revival in Varna, visitors can observe a meticulously recreated original schoolroom that showcases the Bell Lancaster System of educational development. This immersive exhibit provides a glimpse into a mixed class of students, offering a comprehensive representation of the teaching methods employed during that time.

This educational system, was widely used in the 19th century, where older or more skilled students would teach younger or less capable students. In the system advocated by the English educator Joseph Lancaster, the more advanced students acquired their lessons from the adult teacher overseeing the school and subsequently shared their knowledge with the less advanced students.

In the late 18th century, separate educational efforts were undertaken by Robert Raikes in England and Andrew Bell in India, which laid the foundation for the monitorial system. The system found its most passionate supporter in Joseph Lancaster, a London schoolmaster whose 1803 pamphlet Improvements in Education had a significant impact. In 1806, Lancaster’s monitorial system for educating underprivileged children had gained global recognition as the most widely imitated approach. The method achieved its success by being cost-effective (reducing the need for adult teachers) and efficient (eliminating the waiting time for children seeking the attention of the principal teacher).

In the video, the students demonstrate their practical approach to starting with basic materials like sand, then moving on to slate and chalk, before finally using paper. Demonstrating the educational budget being well used for its resourcefulness and cost-consciousness approach.

When visiting the museum, it worth asking what the rods at the end of each desk and the circular disc at the top is used for!

• Museum of National Revival

• Wiki – Monitorial School System
• Britannica – Monitorial School System