The Act

The varied and inconsistent nature of Scottish education in the early 19th century led to a royal commission. A group, led by the Duke of Argyll, appointed in August 1864, and known as the Argyll Commission, examined the state of schooling in Scotland. Their remit included looking at both public and private institutions as well as teacher-training facilities. Its aim was to determine whether public money was being spent in the most beneficial way.

The commission revealed that hundreds of thousands of young people in Scotland were receiving sub-standard or no education at all. It was this that paved the way for the 1872 Education (Scotland) Act, which sought to both reverse these statistics and learn lessons from missed opportunities of the 1870 Education Act passed in England and Wales.

On 6th August 1872 “An Act to amend and extend the provisions of the Law of Scotland on the subject of Education” received royal assent and passed into law.

A black-and-white photograph showing a group of school girls outdoors, seated and standing on a grassy bank. They are wearing light-colored dresses typical of the early 1900s. Trees and a stone wall are visible in the background.

School girls from Kilmonivaig School, c.1900

Sepia-toned historic photograph of seven individuals posed in two rows outside a stone building with arched windows. The group is dressed in formal late 19th-century attire, including dark suits, waistcoats, and bowler hats. Two seated figures hold walking sticks.

Members of the School Board Portree 1890s

A black-and-white photograph of a group of schoolboys from the early 1900s sitting on a grassy bank outdoors. Most are wearing caps, jackets, and knee-length shorts with long socks, while a few have bare feet.

School boys from Kilmonivaig School, c.1900

Group photo of children and adults outside West Watten Public School, posed in rows against a stone wall. Date 1910.

West Watten School - Pupils

A black-and-white photograph of a large group of schoolchildren posed in three rows outside a stone building with three-paned windows. The children are wearing early 20th-century clothing, including dresses, pinafores, and buttoned jackets. Most are seated on a bench in the front row, with others standing behind. Several children have bare feet, while others wear boots. One child in the front row holds a chalkboard sign that reads: “Embo Public School, 1912. 3 171."

Embo school photograph, 1912. CS/5/5/13g

The Act revolutionised education. For the first time, school attendance became mandatory for all children between the ages of 5 and 13 and parents had a duty to provide their children with elementary education in reading, writing and arithmetic. Those who couldn’t afford the fees (set by each school board) could apply to their local parochial board who were obliged to assist. Poverty was no longer a barrier to attendance.

Burgh and parish schools which had existed prior to the passing of the Act were incorporated into the new system (a lesson which had been learnt from the 1870 England/Wales Act which had attempted only to fill gaps in education provision). A new central Board of Education for Scotland was established, under which were created some 1000 local school boards – one for every parish and burgh in Scotland. Of course, these school boards needed new schools to administer…

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