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The Moray House School of Education
History
of Professional Training |
Part 7b: Callendar
Park College of Education.
The College had its origin in the
teacher shortages of the 1960’s in Scoland. To avoid overcrowding
at the older city-based colleges, such as Moray House, the government funded
three additional colleges of education: Callendar Park near Falkirk and
Craigie in Ayr opened in 1964, with Hamilton following in 1966. The subsequent
restrictions on the number of teacher training places in the late 1970s
led to Callendar Park’s closure and merger with Moray House in 1981.
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About the College |
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In 1963 the Scottish Council for the Training of Teachers recommended
that a new college of education be built in Stirlingshire. Following
government approval the decision was taken to build the college in
what was the walled garden of Callendar House in the Lands of Callendar
on the outskirts of Falkirk. The intention was that the college should
be ready for its first students within twelve months and on the 2
October 1964 170 students enrolled at Callendar Park College of Education.
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The flat roofed buildings were similar in architectural
style to those developed at the same time at Craigie College in Ayr and
Dunfermline College in Edinburgh. The accommodation comprised three teaching
blocks, a library block, administrative accommodation and communal and
recreational facilities. Included in the teaching blocks were specialist
facilities: gymnasia, studios and laboratories; there was also a dedicated
TV studio. There were two halls of residence providing single occupancy
study bedrooms for 200 students.
Plan
of the College
Callendar
Park Halls of Residence
With the College specialising in the education
and training of teachers for primary schools it did more than fill a
temporary need in teacher supply. Close professional working relationships
were developed between the college and schools in the local region and support
was given both locally and nationally to the contemporary and often urgent
problems of primary education.
As
the need for primary teachers grew in the late 1960’s, the college’s
capacity was expanded from its original 600 to 900 students. This expansion
called for additions to the existing classrooms, laboratories and library.
In particular, a lecture theatre was added to meet both academic and dramatic
needs and a Games Hall was opened in 1974.
The College Board of Studies
was composed of members of the teaching staff. The function of the Board
was to advise and assist the College Principal in the co-ordination of
studies, the maintenance of academic/professional standards, the discipline
of the College, and all matters affecting the progress of students.
In
1974 there were nine teaching departments:
Educational Studies
English
Mathematics
Music
Physical Education
Religious Education
Science
Social Studies
Visual Arts
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The Closure of the College |
The exceptional growth in enrolments in all colleges of education in the
1960’s and early 1970’s was followed by an equally abrupt
fall in the government’s forecasts for the number of student teachers
enrolled. For Callendar Park this meant a reduction in the student population
to approximately 300 full-time students by 1978. Nevertheless, the government’s
review: ‘Teacher Training from 1977 Onwards’, ended with
a firm assurance on the future of the College’s place within the
system. The plan was for some 400 full-time students at the campus with
the excess accommodation being adapted for use by the Forth Valley Health
Board in 1980 to provide a base for a College of Nursing and Midwifery.
During 1977 the staff and students of the college had mounted a campaign
to save Callendar from closure: “not merely for those of us who now
enjoy the chance to work together, but for the sake of our successors and
for the sake of what the College can continue to give to the educational
world beyond our gates.” (Charles E Brown, Principal) Local and national
campaigns were organised in support of the retention of all ten colleges
of education. Political support proved crucial and this led to the government
backing down from closing any college of education at this time. Documents
from Callendar Park’s campaign are lodged in the Moray House Archive.
However, this situation proved to be short-lived. With the return of a
Conservative government in 1979 previous plans for college closures were
revisited and within one month of Margaret Thatcher’s entry to Downing
Street the threat of college of education closures was revived. In the
end the government introduced Regulations that led to the closure of Callendar
Park in 1981 with its rights and obligations transferred to Moray House
College of Education. Moray House initially ran the site as an annexe.
However, the 1981 Regulations had also stipulated that Moray House could
not incur any costs at the site after September 1982. Consequently students
and some 25 academic staff were transferred to Edinburgh, the former completing
their studies at Moray House’s Holyrood Campus.
Despite various attempts to find alternative uses for the Callendar Park
buildings Moray House sold the site and buildings in 1987 to the then Central
Region Council, with the proceeds paid to the Scottish Office. The buildings
were eventually demolished. It was ironic that in the year before closure
the government spent over £1m on completely refurbishing the flat-roofed
buildings of Callendar Park.
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College Principals |
During its 17 years Callendar Park College of Education had three Principals:
Mrs Elizabeth C F Leggat MA DipEd 1964-1969
Charles E Brown MSc MEd 1970-1978
Thomas H H Rae MA MEd 1979-1981
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Armorial Bearing |
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On 27th November, 1964, the Lord Lyon, King of Arms, granted Armorial
Bearings to the College. The badge, in the form of a shield, is described
in the Letters Patent:
Per pale, dexter, Argent two torches saltireways Sable enflamed
Proper, and in chief an open book also Proper, binding and fore-edges
Gules; sinister, per bend Sable and Azure, on a bend Or between three
billets of the last in chief and a |
bear’s head couped Argent, muzzled Gules in base, three gillyflowers
also of the Fifth, seeded Vert; over all a pallet dovetailed, per pale,
dexter Gules, sinister Argent.
The Open Book and Flaming Torches show the College to be a Scottish College
of Education. The other half of the shield depicts the Arms of Callendar
of that Ilk, the Livingstones and the Forbes, the previous owners of the
lands of Callendar.
 An
Historical Note
The above information about Callendar
Park College of Education was
provided by Dr
David Jenkins, Former Vice Principal of Callendar Park
and Former
Registrar
of Moray House, April 2006
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