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Three-part documentary series exploring childhood in 20th-century Scotland. The first programme focuses on Scottish education, once considered the finest in the world.

From its origins in the 16th-century reformation, Scottish education was once considered the finest in the world. But by the first years of the 20th century the system was struggling to cope with the country's sprawling industrialised cities. Children were taught by rote, by crude repetition. Tens of thousands of Irish Catholic immigrants felt unwelcome in the "Kirk" schools and established their own - an issue that still polarises opinions today.

A century of Scottish education reveals how Scottish schools bonded the country together in shared experiences, from school milk to shiny new comprehensives. The teaching of Scots and Gaelic and, of course, the dreaded "tawse", or strap.

1 hour

Last on

Wed 11 Mar 2020 19:00

Credits

Role Contributor
Executive Producer Rachel Bell
Series Producer Andy Twaddle
Director Liam McArdle
Writer Liam McArdle

Broadcasts