1940-1996: Council Meetings at Kilquhanity School
Council meetings were a fundamental part of community life for pupils and staff
During 1968 to 1970 when I was at Kilquhanity, Council Meetings were held on a Thursday afternoon, every week of the school term and everyone – staff and pupils– were obliged to attend unless there was a very good reason for their absence.
Traditionally in those years the only regular weekday television that we were allowed to watch was Top of the Pops, whereas almost every other day of the week, pupils were allowed to watch what they wanted. Also, as the school cooks regularly attended these meetins, the evening meal on Thursdays tended to be somewhat different to that of the rest of the week - pie and beans – a choice of bridie, scotch pie or sausage roll with baked beans.
All this, together with the events of the meetings themselves, made Thursdays quite a memorable day of the week in Kilquhanity.
The format was that everyone would gather in the dining room, chairs and table positioned around the periphery so that everyone could see the table, set in front of the window overlooking the front lawn, where the Chair and the Scribe would sit. Folk could bring items in with them like knitting, and youngest pupils sometimes brought paper and crayons.
The Chairperson was always a pupil, usually, an older senior pupil or one who had experience of time at Kilquhanity and knew the format of the meeting. Prospective Chairs would be given opportunities to experience the role on occasion to develop the necessary skills.
Over the years the council Meetings developed a format and a routine which the Chair would follow. Points to be raised were discussed with Chair in advance of the meeting and on occasion the Chairs might not include a point if it was one that they knew would result in a known outcome from previous meetings. The Chair also had to acknowledge potential time limit? allocation.
The skills involved in being a Council meeting chair included acknowledging who wanted to speak and giving every point raised in the meeting ample time to be discussed fully before a majority agreement was reached or a vote taken. Everyone – staff or Pupil – had a vote and the outcome of the vote was binding; although quite often a subject voted on one week would return in subsequent weeks for revue and modification or change.
The Chairs’ job also entailed managing the behaviour of the meeting as often debate would become heated and emotions could boil-over into outbursts of foul language and physicality as an individual’s commitment to a point was so strong.
Rarely but on occasion meetings would be brought to a close by consensus, in time for supper but with an agreed return on Friday morning. The points to be considered being of more importance than the next morning’s lessons.
These minutes only recorded outcomes and decisions. They did not reflect or record the length time spent discussing an issue or the passions which some pupils or staff put into a point. Sometimes a particular point could take 10 or 20 minutes to find an acceptable resolution.
Fundamentally, the meeting was the a forum for justice. In many other schools a child would take a complaint to an adult – teacher or playground supervisor. At Kilquhanity pupils would, most often, be directed to bring up a grievance at the council meeting, where everyone on the community would become aware of the grievance and contribute to a solution. It was in the interests of the whole school for members to be happy in living together.
Another lesson learned would be that justice meted out by ‘you’ at one meeting well might be the same justice applied to ‘you’ at the next meeting. The body of the meeting learned about the importance of why someone may feel aggrieved and that the best solution was often to support both parties involved. Tolerance and understanding became important ways of living together rather than severe punishment or alienation.
My anecdotal memory of one particular meeting was a complaint raised by the Lodge girls Where or what was the Lodge over toilet paper which at that time was an old-fashioned hard tissue – like a thinner version of modern greaseproof paper – by the trade name of Izal. The girls were advocating the purchase, by the school, of the newer toilet tissue – Andrex, for example.
The discussion and debate raised many a laugh and some serious protestations. Eventually Morag as school bursar explained that cost would be factor and that fees would need to be adjusted accordingly. Eventually the point was passed in favour of the Lodge girls and we all had more comfortable bums at our parents’ expense.
The Council at Kilquhanity, was a very real example of democracy in action – everyone had a vote – and in theory that vote would not be overruled by the adults. At any rate, that is what John Aitkenhead would have insisted.
I do remember very rare occasions when John might intervene with the words ‘it is strictly taboo for . . . ‘, when an item being discussed might lead to illegality or direct offence to our neighbouring farmers the McTaggarts.
The fact that the pupils outnumbered the adults and majority voting was adhered to, meant that the pupils could theoretically vote for whatever they wished for. Educationalists and others have therefore often worried that such a system could lend itself to some sort of anarchical mayhem. And there is no doubt that for some school teachers this often was, and continues to be, a difficult topic to understand as they as they often perceive themselves as the voice of authority. And yet, as far as I can make out, council decisions never causwd the school - nor John - any real problems in this direction.
Take, for example, pupils wanting to vote to remove or push back a time for going to bed. Although this would periodically appear as a point, usually by a new pupil, it rarely was agreed as most poupils realised that a good nights sleep prepared them well for so much activity, choice and learning in the daytime which they relished. The routines and traditions of the school were rarely challenged.
There is also my memory of a meeting a point was raised by the
Lodge girls over toilet paper which at the time was an old fashioned hard
tissue, like a thinner version of modern greaseproof paper. It went by the trade name
of Izal.
The girls were advocating the purchase by the school of the newer
toilet tissue – Andrex, or equivalent.
The discussion and debate raised many a laugh and some serious protestations. Eventually Morag as school bursar explained that cost would be factor and that fees would need to be adjusted accordingly.
Eventually the point was passed in favour of the Lodge girls and
we all had more comfortable bums at our parents’ expense.
Another Council meeting - Photographs donated by Lois Aitkenhead for use in the Jubillee Booklet collection
We should have a separate short article on Useful Work
I think that this would be more than enough as an intro although I find your ending not very convincing. Anyway . . .
See if you can find the oldest Broadsheet that mentions a meeting and include.
We will definitly use the rest of what you sent for the rest of whateveer you intent to write.