| Description | Covers committals to the following industrial or approved schools by Aberdeen School Board and then Education Authority and Education Committee: Oakbank; St Joseph's, Tranent; Mars Training Ship; Nazareth House; Whitehall; Liberton Boys (Dr Guthrie's); Gilmerton Girls' (Dr Guthrie's); Springboig St John's RC; Rossie Farm; Dalbeth R.C., Tollcross, Glasgow; Balgay, Dundee; Balgowan; Wellington Farm; Kibble; Wellshill Girls', Perth; Snowden Girls', Stirling; Whittingchame House; Kenmuir St. Mary's R.C. Boys; Thornley Park, Paisley. Kilmarnock is listed in the index but no entries are listed.
Records: child's name; name, occupation and address of parent or guardian; child's date of birth; court and date of committal; offence charged or cause of committal; date of admission and leaving; and remarks (usually the presiding officer of the court).
Indexed by child's surname and by home.
Committals from 1909 to 1949, although the majority run to 1946. |
| Administrative History | Industrial Schools, under the terms of the 1908 Children's and Young Persons Act, received children under 14 "found to be destitute, begging or wandering the streets, whose parents were deemed unfit to look after them, or who associated with thieves or prostitutes" (P. Higginbotham, Children's Homes, p. 36). They were residential schools.
In 1925 the Government set up a committee to review these Schools, which recommended removing the distinction between Industrial and Reformatory schools (the latter had taken in youthful offenders under 16) and replacing them with Approved Schools: this was brought into effect by the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act, 1932.
This Act allowed children up to the age of 16 to be admitted to an Approved School if
"he or she:
- Was found guilty of an offence which, in the case of an adult, would be punishable by a prison sentence.
- Was found to be in need of care, protection or control.
- Was deemed to be 'refactory' while in the care of a Local Authority.
- Was brought back to Court because of behaviour while on probation.
- Had run away from the care of a Local Authority or a 'fit person'.
- Had come before the Court for truancy" (P. Higginbotham, Children's Homes, p. 38). |