21-05-2025
Report card discovery reveals story of 'lost' Glasgow school
Intrigued, I wanted to find out a bit more about what school would have been like for her.
As well as doing some research online, I delved into some of the sources held at the city archives, namely the Glasgow Corporation Education committee handbooks and the Bernard Street School logbook.
Image of Bernard Street School, c 1916 (Image: Glasgow City Archives) Bernard Street School, long since demolished, was classed as an Advanced Central School.
At age 12, pupils sat the qualification exam to demonstrate their completion of primary school education.
There were different kinds of schools and courses after this, depending on whether a pupil was expected to complete a further two, three or five years of secondary education.
The Advanced Central schools were for post-primary pupils aiming to complete a vocationally-oriented education until the age of 14 or 15.
This is reflected in the list of subject my gran, Mary Reid (nee Bertie) studied.
Pre-printed in the report card are the subjects English, history, geography, arithmetic, science and drawing – subjects that all pupils studied.
Then, underneath in ink, my gran has written needlework, cookery, laundry and housewifery.
These additional subjects reflected the technical course curriculum for girls, whereas boys' technical courses included benchwork, technical drawing and mechanics.
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Additionally, pupils received between one and a half and two and a half hours of physical instruction per week.
Between the 1920s and 1930s, schools played an increasing role in physical health.
As well as more time allocated to PE classes per week, there was a push to increase and improve school gyms and playing fields, and expenditure on school medical services in Scotland rose from £44,000 in 1914 to £172,000 in 1933.
The Bernard Street school logbook reflects this emphasis on physical education, noting for example that the school's first annual sports day was held on June 21, 1935 at Barrowfield Park. I wonder how my gran got on?
Image of girls doing a drill, c 1916 (Image: Glasgow City Archives)
The 1933 handbook also provides insight into general rules around homework, corporal punishment and instruction in temperance, morals and manners.
Homework was only to be given to children above the Junior Division and the maximum was not to exceed one hour per evening. Generously, it is noted that additional work was not to be given on Fridays...
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Beyond the curriculum, schools were encouraged to engage with the value of social activities in school, with education ministers at the time highlighting the increase in school journeys, school clubs and musical societies.
The 1933 handbook makes clear that the Corporation approved of school choirs and was willing to offer up facilities for practice and rehearsals after school.
Similarly, the Bernard Street logbook reveals that on August 27, 1935, a Miss Harvey took up her duty as visiting music teacher, giving music lessons to the children one day every third week.
Image of logbook extract, April 1935 (Image: Glasgow City Archives)
The school logbook also includes mention of annual trips to the nearby Olympia Picture House in aid of the Necessitous Children's Holiday Camp Fund, jumble sales held to raise money for the school, as well as a school visit to an exhibition held at the Kelvin Hall in 1935.
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These examples are commended in the HMI report on the school from the July 25, 1936, which highlights the pleasant atmosphere and the 'whole-hearted and sympathetic service given by the staff."
The logbook reveals that the summer holidays used to be seven weeks long and that the school would close for events relating to the royal family, such as the wedding of Prince George and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark on November 29, 1934, and King George's funeral on January 28, 1936.
Like many of her peers, my gran left school at 14 and started working. Clearly the needlework lessons came in handy since she trained as a seamstress and in her marriage certificate to my granddad, she is noted as a tailor's finisher.
