Opinions of what counted as poverty varied across England. Some definitions of what a family to should be earning changed based on whether the income included the cost of housing or rent. This variation on what counted as someone in need of finance assistance could also occur with in a city, such as Derby as the workhouse and the school board used different poverty scales.

Moreover opinions of the those who needed assistance were also different. Manchester was sympathetic towards the poor while Derby felt that providing school fees would encourage more parents to fall into pauperism. This variation of opinions also plays into the debate of whether school should be compulsory. This was the case in Scotland as school boards did not create