The first school was established by the Scottish Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) in 1709. The results were somewhat patchy; a visit by Rev MacAulay in 1758 found all but four of the islanders to be illiterate. In the early 19th century the school came under the control of the Gaelic School Society when there were 44 scholars enrolled. Of these, over a quarter were aged between 20 and 40.
The census of 1861 showed that only two St Kildans could speak English and neither of these had been born in the islands. However, by the 1880s almost every child aged six or upwards could at least read a portion of the Bible.
The first dedicated schoolmaster was Mr Campbell, who arrived in 1884. The first schoolroom was located in a room in the factor's house. He, in common with his successors, did not remain long in his post. Indeed, there were six schoolmasters in the first five years of the school's existence.
Records from 1888 show that there were 14 children (10 boys and 4 girls) enrolled in the school who were divided into Junior, Intermediate and Senior classes. They were taught grammar, arithmetic, composition, history and geography. In 1898 Norman Heathcote, a natural historian, visited the islands and found that most children had a good grasp of English. In the following year a new school building was completed. In 1906 a married couple, Mr and Mrs MacLauchlan, took joint charge of the school which then numbered 22 pupils. The school closed in 1930 with the evacuation of the remaining 36 islanders, eight of which were attending the school.
Click to enlarge the image, read the text then answer the following questions.
Questions
- What did the letters SSPCK stand for and what was the link with St. Kilda?
- What was unusual about the school roll in the early 19th century?
- What did the 1861 Census show concerning the position of English and Gaelic on the islands?
- Look closely at the photo. What are some of the boys wearing?
- How many children are there in the photo?