Teachers Registration in Scotland??

[JenClark]

Hello All,

I am attempting to find out where my Scottish relative taught. Her name was Constance Jane Jessie Rutherford, born 1903 in Dundee. I imagine she started teaching in the 1920's.

I realise that Find My Past has the English/Welsh Teachers' Registration Council Registers 1914-1948, but does anyone know if a similar index exists for Scottish teachers?

Any assistance or advice on where to look would be great.

Thanks in advance 

Jenny

[Istrice]

Jenny,

The attached link may provide a starter for ten. 

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/education-records#Schools

Istrice

[Rockford]

Hi Jenny

The General Teaching Council for Scotland has only been around since 1965, see http://www.gtcs.org.uk/about-gtcs/history-of-GTCS.aspx

The Educational Institute of Scotland, which has been around since 1847 and is the oldest trade union for teachers in the world has a Royal Charter that allows it to award degrees - described as fellowship of the institute (or F.E.I.S) - you sometimes see this in old school and college documents on a list of staff (I've worked in a school with a history to 1859 and a college with roots in the 1860s ).  However, I have no idea if the EIS have the records or the resources to respond to individual queries.

Dundee Central Library have a local history section - they may have a name index from local papers or have some resources on schools and education generally in the area.  Their contact details are here: http://www.leisureandculturedundee.com/library/central-library-wellgate

Best wishes

Rockford

[JenClark]

Thanks for the info and links Rockford & Istrice 

I will look into them.....fingers crossed something turns up on my lady 

[Rosinish]

Did Constance marry, if so when/who to & where as this may give an idea as to where she taught with an address at time of a marriage?

Annie

[Rena]

I was lucky and found the teaching college, where my ancestors attended, inserted adverts in local newspapers giving names of who had passed what exam and which schools each of them would be teaching at.

I see the British Newspaper Archive has historic copies of Dundee newspapers.  Have you enquired to see if your local or county library gives free access to this archive?

This is the URL for the newspaper archive.  If your library has a subscription they will give their members a barcode to use for free entry to the website.
http://galeapps.galegroup.com/apps/auth/

[JenClark]

Hi Annie,

No Connie did not marry, so there are unfortunately no clues waiting for me in marriage records...

Hi Rena,

The only references I have found thus far in the newspapers for Constance/Connie Rutherford are:

A couple of articles in 1920 (Dundee Evening Telegraph) & 1921 (Dundee Courier) stating that she was a student at the Harris Academy....I may have to do more research on it to find out if it was a teacher's college, she would have been 17 & 18yrs of age at this time. The articles are about the end of year break up, not subjects or results unfortunately...and she was entertaining them by playing the piano 

and

An article in 1924 (Dundee Courier) about Dundee Teaching Vacancies where the Dundee Education Authority had 'approved' her along with a long list of other 'candidates from the several training colleges for prospective appointments in the schools of the Authority'
She is listed as Constance J J Rutherford, of 2 Hermonhill Tce, 27 Perth Road, Dundee....but unfortunately the article does not state which school she was appointed to 

So close....yet so far!

Jenny

[JenClark]

Well.....I contacted the Harris Academy Former Pupils Association on the off chance that they would have access to school records showing which teachers college Connie Rutherford went to when she finished high school....I am soooooo glad that I did 

They have just e-mailed me to say that Connie taught at the Harris Primary!! Some of them remember her as she retired at the end of 1960. How is that for a stroke of luck!!

I'm off to contact the Dundee City Archives, as apparently they hold the Harris Academy admission registers

Yay for the power of the internet!

[Rosinish]

Well done on that mission!

I wonder if there are photos of her anywhere?

Annie