Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

INTRODUCTION...
xlix
than the aggregate one of even the- parochial schools, themselves,— consists of schools
begun and conducted wholly by the private, adventure of their teachers. Many of these-
are of highly creditable character, and bring, from mere fees, a much greater revenue
than the average income of the parochial schoolmasters ; many, also, are checked by the
supervision, of a competent,, though altogether voluntary and conventional sanction ; but
most are altogether pitiful imitations, some of them even hideous or farcical caricatures,
of elementary schools, in all respects irresponsible, in many respects deleterious ; and
"while, in. a painful mass of instances,, the schools are presided over only by pedantic
ignorance, or industrious penury, they yield, often even when merit superintends them,
so very scanty an income, that one wonders how it should tempt the labours of even the
pedant or the enfeebled peasant. Non-parochial schools are to the parochial as 41 to,
12 ; and if probably about one-tenth of their whole number be deducted, they almost
certainly — though we have no precise data for a calculation — ^yield an average income
at least one-third less than that of the parochial schoolmasters. When the exceedingly
motley character, and the disgracefully low revenues of the schools of Scotland are duly
adverted to, the most superficial fair thinker, while aware that multitudes of excellent
or superior scholars must be produced, will be at no loss to see that the Scottish people
as a whole are at the mercy of great blundering and incompetence, and possess in many
instances few, and in some instances none, of the advantages which would resu.lt from
some general, well-constructed, competent and liberal system of education. The propor-
tions in which the higher departments of tuition are appreciated and patronized in Scot-
land, may probably be inferred from a return made to the General Assembly of the
results of presbyterial examination of schools in 1839. The schools examined were in
237 instances non-parochial ; and, including these, they were aggregately attended by
152,281 scholars, — of whom 524 were learning Greek, 1,053 French, 3,201 Latin, 2,301
mathematics, and 13,120 geography. The following table shows, from a parliamentary
report published in 1837, and founded on returns made by the parochial clergy, the
number and the county distribution of schools and teachers in Scotland, and the aggre-
gate amount of the parish schoolmaster^ salaries.
Counties.
No. of
Parochial
Schools.
No. of
Instruc-
tors.
Salaries.
Total Incomes,
including Salaries,
Fees, and other
Emoluments.
No. of
Scliools
Nun-paro-
chial.
No. of
Instruc-
tors.
93
74
46
25.
34
10
10
5
13
65
32
21
55
53
30
34
22
5
49
72
13
4
28
16
73
19
33
44
5
33
13
18
96
78
62
29
40
10
11
6
15
69
40
27
61
60
32
34
22
7
55
90
13
4
29
17
75
22
33
53
8
39
15
21
£2,509 17
1,347 16
1,624 12
761 18
1,049 16
181 9
345 17
159 6
412 1
1.641 16
1,183 19
688 17
1,831 18
1,717 18
858 5
877 U
670 16
170 17
1,163 10
1,611 18
426 8
137 17
738 6
494 3
2,384 15
463 7
9S3 7
1,144 15
165 10
956 14
420 6
516 18
10
I
lOf
Of
lOf
H
6i
n
4
8*
4
9}
6}
11
3

1
5
74
8*
6£
2*
10
7
4f
4
2
Hi
7*
74
£4.873 14 104,
2,401 6 7
3,485 9 11^
1,304 10 7l
2,224 14 64.
320 9 10 J
639 14 3}
307 10 6i
714 8 114.
2,968 3 1
2,518 13 84.
1,044 13 5
3,576 2 If
3,353 16 6J
1,784 3 3£
1,335 15 11
1,168 13 11
338 7 1
2,223 14 7f
3,868 19 2i
845 16 If
189 17 64
928 9 Hi
853 8 84
4,011 18 10f
897 4 lOf
1.421 5 54
2,303 3 34
351 10 ll|
1,675 9 64
574 5 lOf
928 2 9f
347
200
225
125
59
30
86
26.
54
129
460
70
223
223
51
122
85
13
56
352
48
14
113
14
251
169
124
68
13
121
43
81
379
207
241
131
60
34
86
39
55
143
640
88
252
255
55
127
86
15
60
376
55
15
113
17
259
193
129
80
14
138
45
82
Banff,
Bute,
Edinburgh
File
Kirkcudbright,
Perth,
Renfrew,
Roxburgh,
Stirling,
Sutherland
Wigton,
Total,
1,047
1,170
£29,642 18
"4
£55,339 17 IJ
3,995
4,469