1940-1996: The Pupils of Kilquhanity - Introduction

Information on  pupils who attended the school 

In 1986, Margo MacDonald, a well-known SNP, SMP came up with the following on BBC Radio Scotland.

Education was something you went through in order to get yourself a better job . . .  Meeting John Aitkenhead, and one or two others like him . . . changed that perspective for me.

It may have changed Margo’s perspective, but did it for those who came to Kilquhanity for a variety of reasons? 

In 1940 the school population was very small. Some children were placed by parental choice but a significant number were there as evacuees from cities and centres targeted in the blitz. When WW2 ended, several of these children returned home - and to local schools.

Another significant societal change was the effect of the publication of A. S. Neill’s book Summerhill in 1960s both in the the USA and elsewhere. It resulted in a marked increase in interest in both Kilquhanity and Summerhill. 

Front cover of the 1960s first edition

This was at the era of the ‘swinging sixties’, the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations and the years of ‘peace and love’.

However, tt would be wishful thinking to believe that all the children who came to Kilquhanity were there as a result of parental or a carer’s wishes wanting their child to benefit from the values and principles of the type of education provided. 

A significant number of children were referred to the school with a background of social services or referred to by educational psychologists - and on occasion, via psychiatric support. Foster care and family breakdown were also sometimes, contributing factors.

Although a majority of children would consider their time at Kilquhanity as positive, some would go on to say that they wanted to get away as quickly as possible. Others would reflect that they wished they had gone to another school where, perhaps, they would have achieved more, academically.    

Pupils taking a break 

Given the overwhelming amount of material available on the topic, this article will link to several individual pages of related data – mostly demographic material, compiled by me and which can be viewed by clicking on the following article headings which link directly to the John Aitkenheads archives. 

I will also add examples of professional referrals to Kilquhanity or parental choices made as well as each pupils’ journey during their stay at the school. Names of pupils have been changed and dates not given to which should make it difficult to identify anybody.

The titles of these are shown below as sub-article headings which are linked to the main Kilquhanity Archive blog page and can be read there. The articles on the Archive page will link back to this page so viewers  can read the rest if they so wished.



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