2024: Postscript - Why Did Kilquhanity Work?
My own personal experience as a Killy Kid was for two years between spring 1968 to spring 1970.
There then followed a term as an assistant farmhand to Nicky Walton. Later in the 1990’s and following on from the Jubilee Celebrations my son Matt was a Killy kid for two years following on from a rather pointless attendance at State Secondary School.
Even later in the mid- ‘90s I was asked by John and Morag Aitkenhead, the Aitkenhead children Neill, Val and Lois, if I would join the Trustees of Kilquhanity and help with the formal closure of the school. This would help with coping with parents, children, staff redundancy, the Charities Commission, finance and so on.
I think there are many factors that come into play when considering the many years of successes at Kilquhanity. But one should not forget that there were some ‘bad times’: inappropriate staff members, financial hardship and some kids that did not ‘fit’ and whose time at Kilquhanity was short-lived by mutual agreement
There is no doubt in my mind that the good years where good due to combinations of factors. I also consider that there were times when contributing factors meant that the school was only just surviving. Times when there were only a handful of kids; times when money was scarce; times when publicity was counter to the benefits of this style of education.
The life of the school can be considered in relation to external events:
The Second World War and Kilquhanity starting; proclaiming it as a safe place for children to learn. The immediate post-war years when the school population declined such that considered closure and was pawning his fathers watch to raise some money.
The 1950s when the school need to make appeals for funding. The 1960s following the publication of Summerhill by A. S. Neill both in the UK and USA resulting in a groundswell of support and influx of American kids to both schools in the years of Peace and Love and Swinging ‘60s. An increase in the wealth of the school.
The ‘70s and ‘80s saw the development of the estate with new workshops, the Dome, the kindergarten developing a time of ‘strength’ and sustainability.
Then the 1990’s entered into with the exuberance of the Jubilee Celebrations but followed by the decline in John Aitkenhead’s health and the inability to find a good management structure; the decline in numbers of pupils and a ‘damning’ HMI Inspection resulting in closure.
There can be no doubt that John Aitkenhead was a man of vision, a man of peace, a conscientious objector in the second war, a scholar, a poet as well as man of physical strength and unbounded energy. A teacher who had listened and learnt from other great men such as William Boyd at Glasgow University and A.S. Neill of Summerhill.
He was, of course, supported and reliant on Morag, his wife, who gave him good counsel and stood with him through all of the successes and the hard times. Together, in 1940, they happened upon Kilquhanity House, a small 7 ½ acre country estate in rural Galloway. An inspirational place to start a school. A big house, steading and grounds to support a small livestock enterprise – close to John’s heart.
Friends joined them, Nan and Arthur Harrison and later John Wilson as well as the poet Crombie Saunders. Soul mates and lifelong friends and supporters. Strength through friendship.
The original School Brochure captured the essence of what John Aitkenhead hoped for his school.
A School for Young Citizens of a New Europe
Freedom – freedom of mind is at stake in the world. free to think for yourself Attendance at classes is voluntary. choice in learning (John posted a copy of the Declaration of Abroath up in the library – informing all of the source of his politics and value of freedom)
The pupils have their own government and share with the adults the responsibility of running the school. democracy with responsibility – the Council Meeting and Useful Work
Education - a balanced community. always a small community school The fullest scope and encouragement to all artistic expression – music, dancing, painting, handwork and gardening.
International in outlook.
John Aitkenhead set out these values and principles in 1940 and he promoted and defended them until his death.
John Aitkenhead is often considered as both a charismatic headteacher and a benign dictator. There is no doubt that he was idolised by many of his staff and many children loved him as both a father figure and teacher.
Kilquhanity was his and there were occasions when he would not allow individual or small collectives of staff to move the school away from routines and traditions that had evolved over many years. Equally with the whole community of kids there were, rare, occasions, when John would veto decisions with the phrase ‘it is strictly taboo . . . . ‘ and that would be the end of the matter.
His manner and thinking would always lend him toward discussion, debate and reason. (Coincidentally, Shinichiro Hori founder of Kinokuni Childrens Village in Japan, another charismatic Head has his own phrase – I don’t think so . . . when an idea is promoted that he disagees with and will not tolerate.)
As the school evolved and the original staff moved on to other adventures Aitkenhead tended toward advertising for staff in the New Statesman magazine. The school had a tendency to attract talented misfits who offered skills which supported those expressive arts which Aitkenhead held dear; whilst he tended toward taking classes in literacy and creative writing.
Aitkenhead also recognised the importance of physical activity and engaged kids and staff with sports, dancing – Scottish Country (of course), gardening and the school’s attempts at agriculture.
Kids of all ages, girls and boys, came from all over the world – an International outlook. Originally a boarding school but later some day kids. Kids could arrive at any time during the school year. My own experience was on the day I visited the school with my mum and dad, we pulled up in the Morris Minor to met by John who promptly asked an american boy, Danny Cohen, to ‘show Andrew around’, whilst Mum and Dad went up to the Top Landing for coffee and a chat with John and Morag. My admission, in effect, was handled by me and Danny!
As children develop so their sexual identity is explored and moulded by their situation amd events. At Kilquhanity adolescents were free to explore relationships and only if under-age intercourse had been acknowledged would John both inform parents and bring the couple into his sitting room for some ‘awareness’ discussion. In my own time there was an occasion when John brought all the adolescent boys together to promote the reading of a Pelican publication: Boys and Sex, which we were all asked to read and pass around. Aware but not deterred!
A small school, a charismatic head, interesting and adventurous staff happy to pursue a child’s personal interest in a subject area. Learning by negotiation and desire. A community making decisions about all aspects of living together. A community reliant on the contributions of one and all to the day-to-day of living together. There were no cleaners or caretaker at Kilquhanity – this work was performed by kids with adults – learning about the responsibility of living together.
A school where there was no physical punishment, a school where justice was practised through the Council Meeting where each one had a vote, where discussion and debate in the Socratic method was cultivated.
Kilquhanity worked because of John Aitkenhead's original vision of how life could change after two world wars if people learnt how to live together in mutual respect and practised the methods of a democratic society where the individual’s right to pursue their own pathway as long as it did not impact negativley on those who shared that community.
Kilquhanity worked because of the place.
Kilquhanity worked because children were allowed to be children.