By Ian Cooper from his excellent series Records of a Bygone Age published in The Stronsay Limpet and republished here with their kind permission.

At the end of last month’s article we heard that plans were in place for the new North and South schools, with tenders actively being sought for the building of both. Things moved on quickly from there with contractors appointed and the buildings going ahead.

At a School Board meeting in October 1878 it was noted that, with the completion of the South School in October 1876 and the North School in September 1878, there was now sufficient school accommodation for all the island’s children. It was agreed that the ‘compulsory’ clause of the 1872 act could now finally be brought into operation on the island, this clause legally obliging every parent or guardian to send their child to school from the age of 5 until the age of 13.

By mid-1879 teachers listed at the Central School were headmaster John Forbes assisted by ex-pupil-teachers Alexander Learmonth and Edith Forbes, whose apprenticeships were complete and who were now to receive a salary of £20 per year. During their pupil-teacher apprenticeship and training they had been paid at a rate of £7 in their first year, £8 in the second, £9 in year 3 and £10/10/- in their final year, so that would have been quite a rise in their salary. It was also agreed that teachers at the Central School should be allowed 2 days holidays per year at a time suitable to themselves which, I assume, would have been in addition to the normal school holidays.

With many pupils having stayed home to work with the herring fishing and, soon after it was finished for the season, more pupils staying at home to work with the harvest, attendance figures were again giving the Board cause for concern. It was noted that in one week in October numbers at the school were down to 17, this out of a roll of around 80 at the time.

We move on now to a School Board meeting in January 1880 where headmaster John Forbes, who had been in poor health for some time, had submitted a letter asking for the Board’s support in applying to the Scotch Education Department for a retirement pension. This support was readily given and the Department agreed to grant Mr Forbes an annual pension of £30. He subsequently retired in May 1880 and his post was advertised at a salary of £100 plus a free house and garden, with Charles S Smith being appointed and taking up the post in October. Mr Smith was to endure numerous periods of ill health during his time as head, the first of which was in December that year with Robert Learmonth of Millfield, Alexander Learmonth’s elder brother, being appointed interim teacher until he recovered.

Also in 1880, with the ever increasing number of vessels engaged in herring fishing and supplying the needs of the growing industry, the pier at Whitehall Village had been lengthened and heightened.. This was seen as a very important step in the growth of the industry with proprietor Colonel Balfour, who was sole funder of the construction, performing the opening ceremony on 26th July 1880, following which he was presented with a service of silver plate by the islanders to mark the occasion.

In further recognition of the importance of this event the Local Artillery Volunteers were in attendance and the school was closed that afternoon to allow staff and pupil to also attend. With the ships in the harbour all well decorated with bunting this must have been quite an impressive event.

On 5th August 1881 the school was shut as the School Board was meeting in the school room (singular). With only one room measuring 48 x 21 feet (14.6 x 6.4 metres) and, on occasion, three teachers and a sewing mistress at the school it must have been a busy room although, with newly qualified teachers Alexander Learmonth and Edith Forbes having previously moved elsewhere to find work, the only staff recorded at that time was Mr Smith, together with his sister Frances who was acting as Assistant and Sewing Mistress.

Following Frances Smith’s resignation in January 1882 it was agreed to appoint a permanent Assistant Teacher and Sewing Mistress as her replacement at the school, with Mr Stevenson of Holland offering to pay £12 annually to help meet this cost, and also to appoint an additional Mistress to the Central School if numbers rose above 80. 17 year old Janet Learmonth and 19 year old Isabella Wiseman were both engaged on a trial basis, with Miss Wiseman later being the favoured candidate and appointed to the post.

Mention had been made in previous minutes regarding periods when no fires were lit or floors cleaned and this was addressed by the Board with the appointment of a cleaner at a wage of 1/- (5p) per week.

Permission was granted to Kirkwall businessman John B Russell, who was described in the 1881 census as a ‘Master Photographer and Sewing Machine Agent’, for the use of the Central School on 13th and 14th March 1882 to provide ‘optical lantern entertainment’. This ‘Magic Lantern’ attraction would probably have been the first time that such a facility would ever have been available to the good folk of Stronsay.

Following School Board elections in early 1882 Robert Miller of Coweshouse was reappointed as Clerk and Treasurer to the School Board at a salary of £15 while William Moodie was appointed as School Board Officer (later retitled as ‘Compulsory Officer’). Mr Moodie’s duties included visiting each school regularly – at least once a fortnight – and checking the attendance figures. If it was found that any particular children had been absent without good excuse then he was also to visit their parents to warn them of their legal obligations to provide for the education of their children.

One of the many problems facing Mr Moodie in his duty of ensuring all children attended school was that many parents simply couldn’t afford to pay the fee of 1/6d per term to allow their child a place at school. Although relief was available from the ‘Poor Fund’ administered by the local Parochial Board (the fore runner of the Parish or District Council) many parents were too proud to apply or failed to qualify for assistance. To try to ease this burden on larger families the Board agreed that where four or more pupils from the same family were attending school then fees should only be charged for three. These fees were finally abolished by the Government in 1890, giving for the first time the availability of free education for all.

This new Board also had to address the thorny issue of a discrepancy in school funds found after John Forbes, headmaster of the Central School and treasurer to the School Board, had resigned. It was agreed that the Board should pay Mr Forbes a retirement allowance of £66/13/4d but noted that there was a shortfall in School Board funds of £136/4/2d due by him when he remitted office. This affair rumbled on for several years, being destined to go the Court of Session in Edinburgh at one point but the matter was resolved before it got that far, with the School Board offering a reduced pension to Mr Forbes and this being accepted. This pension was to continue to be paid up until the death of Mr Forbes in January 1899.

A HMI report for the year ending May 1882 again seemed to give an excellent account of the school although, as we will see later, this didn’t appear to be a view shared by the School Board. The report recorded ‘A highly successful appearance has been made. The children are in excellent order and show more drill and activity. Intelligence well trained throughout Geography, and History full, ready and accurate. Arithmetic extremely correct. Figuring and paper-writing might still be improved. Mathematics, Latin, French, Domestic Economy and Physical Geography all very well taught. Sewing and Knitting specially commendable. Singing very fair.’

The only staff members recorded at the time of this inspection were headmaster Charles Smith and Sewing Mistress and Assistant Teacher Isabella Wiseman.

Soon after this HMI report was to hand, in what seems a rather strange reaction by the School Board, it was recorded in the Board minutes on 1st February 1882 that:

‘After discussing the subject of Sewing Mistress and Assistant Teacher referred to in both above reports fully (these were reports dated November and December the previous year), it was unanimously resolved to remonstrate with the teacher in the Central School to exercise greater energy and activity in the discharge of his duties. The Board feel drawn to this position by reason of the terms of the last Report by H. M. Inspector on the school, and also from the continuance of complaints as to the amount of work done in the school, the Special Subjects having not yet been overtaken by the Teaching Staff sanctioned by the Board.’

Just a month later, and probably after the Board had remonstrated with Mr Smith, another minute states that :

‘At a meeting of the School Board of Stronsay and Eday held here this day (1st March) Mr Stevenson moved that the Board, having reconsidered the remonstrance with Mr Smith, Teacher in the Central School recorded in the minute of 1st February last – find the Report of H. M. Inspector the best of any school under the Board and believe the School to be in the most satisfactory condition it has been during this board’s term of office; therefore clear Mr Smith of all blame.’

Mr Learmonth seconded this motion.

Mr Smith resigned in April 1883 after only 2½ years in post and, in August that year, was succeeded by 22 year old Alexander Learmonth. Mr Learmonth, a son of Alexander Learmonth of Millfield, had first qualified as a teacher in Stronsay and had been teaching in Carnwath in Lanarkshire before moving back to his native Stronsay as headmaster.

Attendance was again highlighted in April 1883 when it was recorded that, out of a roll of 84, only 20 pupils were in attendance with the rest either working on the farm or working at home to allow a parent to go out to work. Of these 84 pupils, more than two thirds were boys.

It was in 1883 too that the school leaving age was raised to 14. Although this gave pupils the right to remain in education until that age few chose to or were given the opportunity to do so, and there was still provision for children as young as 10 to leave school if they gained a ‘Labour Certificate’ by passing certain tests set by Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools. It was to be a further 18 years before full time education up to the age of 14 was to become compulsory.

Around this time the School Board acknowledged that they were struggling at times to visit and be fully acquainted with all that was happening and needing attention in all three schools. In an attempt to alleviate the situation and to make better use of the Board’s time and resources it was agreed that Board members Mr Ralph Fotheringhame of Boondatoon be appointed to look after the educational needs of the South School, Mr Oliver Drever of the Bay the Central School and Mr William Stevenson of Holland the North School.

November 9th 1883 saw another school holiday given as both churches in the island were observing a Fast Day, something which seemed to occur once or twice a year.

Miss Wiseman left in January 1884 to be replaced by Miss Janet Learmonth from Millfield, a sibling of headmaster Alexander Learmonth, who had previously qualified in Stronsay as a teacher.

On 19th March 1884 it was again recorded that many pupils were absent, this time because they were attending a sale of wreck at Rothiesholm. This event would have been quite an attraction for the older pupils and must have been the remains of the Swansea registered brigantine Laura, wrecked at Rothiesholm in January that year. There had been no loss of life but the cargo of salt was all lost and the ship mostly broken up.

An outbreak of measles in July 1884 seemed to give less cause for concern than in previous epidemics, with the headmaster recording that there were ‘a few pupils off with measles of a very slight nature and not dangerous.’

In an entry in the log soon after, it was recorded that the school was closed for an Industrial Show on 1st August. Although an Agricultural Society had been formed in the island in 1877 it is remarkable to see this as what must have been a ‘stand-alone’ event, with the first Cattle and Agricultural Show not taking place until 1888.

Moving on to 1885, the school was closed for the afternoon of 4th February to allow pupils to attend the annual ploughing match in Rothiesholm. It again closed early on 1st March, this time to allow for a meeting of the School Board. These meetings were a regular occurrence and, it seems, were regularly held in the afternoon, probably to allow members to attend during daylight hours. As the school at this time still consisted of just one large room, this meant that pupils had to be dismissed early to allow the meeting to take place.

Then, on 6th March, although the school wasn’t shut, it was recorded that a great number of pupils were absent to attend Rev Claude Brownlie’s ordination and induction as minister to the United Presbyterian Church in Stronsay, a post he was to hold for the next 35 years. It was closed a few months later though, when the 27th July was declared a holiday to allow pupils to attend the United Presbyterian Church picnic.

Several closures were recorded in July 1886, all related to the parliamentary election of that year. The first of these was on 1st July , when the building was given over to Leonard Lyell, the Liberal candidate and sitting MP, for his campaign for re-election and then again on the 20th when this same courtesy was extended to Henry Hoare, the Unionist candidate. The school was again closed on 26th and 27th July to allow the building to be used as a polling station in an election where Mr Lyell was returned with a reduced majority.

It’s quite thought provoking to think that, with votes for women still decades away and many others excluded by age or status, there were less than 5,000 constituents eligible to vote out of a combined Orkney and Shetland population in excess of 60,000. At that time Stronsay had a population of 1300 and, of those, only about 30, all male, were eligible to vote.

Poor attendance was again an issue in 1886, with older pupils regularly missing school to work with the herring in season, to help out on the farm as needed or to look after younger siblings to enable their mothers to go out to work. It was noted, however, that some pupils, including 5 boys who had been engaged in herding, returned for a few days prior to the annual HMI inspection.

This inspection was held on 28th August and seemed to be very satisfactory, with the inspector noting that:

‘This school attains a high level of efficiency. The discipline is of a most satisfactory character, in particular the alertness and precision of movement displayed are very admirable features in a school, and are evidently the result of constant and effective class drill.

The results of examinations would have been most satisfactory under any circumstances and when the large proportion of children who are presented under Article 20 is taken into account they reflect very high credit indeed on the teacher. The work of the lower standard is almost all that could be desired, the test questions in arithmetic except in 2 occasions worked with absolute accuracy. The writing in the first standard however is somewhat irregular and intelligence in the second might be further developed. In the upper standards also the work deserves the highest praise. There again the arithmetic was particularly good, the few failures in this subject being confined to the fifth standard. The composition in the fifth deserves special mention. On the other hand reading and intelligence on the fourth and to some extent in the fifth admit of improvement.

The grant for History and Geography was creditably earned throughout but especially in the sixth. Sewing and singing very satisfactory.’

With Janet Learmonth having left at some stage previous to the inspection, the teachers at this time were headmaster Alexander Learmonth and the newly qualified Joanna Shearer from Sunnybank who had moved up through the local school ranks, firstly as Monitor and then as Pupil Teacher. Miss Shearer’s appointment as Assistant Teacher and Sewing Mistress was to be confirmed in January1887.

Those same 5 boys who had returned from herding duties to attend the school for a few days prior to the 1886 inspection had spent the rest of the summer herding and, on their return in November, by which time the cattle had been housed for the winter, it was noted that they were very far behind and would require special attention.

This highlighted the problems caused by poor attendance where, with grant funding being largely dependent on all pupils attaining a basic level of education, additional time and resources had to be given over to help those poor attenders catch up on their education. This, in turn, led to less teaching time devoted to those who attended regularly and whose education was more advanced.

As will be seen later, this was often a cause of friction between School Board and Headmaster, where the Board expected more pupils to be given a grounding in additional subjects, which would lead to more grant funding, and the Head feeling he was let down by the Board not ensuring better attendance from pupils to enable this to happen.

Part 4 next month

See also: Stronsay Schools Part 2 – The coming of the 1872 Education Act and Stronsay Schools Part 1 – pre 1872