| Administrative History | Ythan Wells School Board covered an area of northern Aberdeenshire between Drumblade and Auchterless. There were three schools in the parish when the Board was set up: Ythan Wells Parochial School, and Durndollo and Gariochsford Schools, both run by the Free Church. Gariochsford was offered to the Board immediately, and the Board entered into negotiations with Forgue School Board to set up a combination school in that area. For some time this agreement held although little was done except to appoint a teacher and maintain the old Free Church buildings, but the school was discontinued in 1876.
A joint school was also set up at Glenfoudland to be supported jointly by Insch, Gartly, Culsalmond, Drumblade and Ythan Wells boards (see AS/ASsmc/14). However, Ythan Wells declined to enter into a similar arrangement with Culsalmond School Board over a joint school at Fisherford, and with Auchterless and Culsalmond over a school at Sauchenloan. As the Free Church also intended to close Drumdollo School, the Board decided to build a new school at Corse and to enlarge Ythan Wells School. Drumdollo closed in 1877, and on the same day Corse School opened.
The Education (Scotland) Act 1872 (35 & 36 Vict., c.62) created school boards in Scotland with a statutory duty to provide education for all children between the ages of 5 and 13. The boards had an elected membership made up of owners and occupiers of property of the value of £4 or over. They were responsible for the building and maintenance of schools, staffing and attendance of pupils. They were overseen by the Scotch Board of Education.
The Education (Scotland) Act 1901 (64 Vict. and 1 Edw. VII, c.9) raised the school leaving age to 14. School boards were abolished by the Education (Scotland) Act 1918 (8 & 9 Geo. V, c.48) and replaced by education authorities and school management committees. |