The contribution of the religious orders to education in Glasgow during the period 1847 -1918

O'Hagan, Francis (2002) The contribution of the religious orders to education in Glasgow during the period 1847 -1918. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis attempts to describe, explain, analyse and assess the contribution of five
teaching religious orders to the development of Catholic education in Glasgow from
1847, when, with the arrival of the Franciscan Sisters, Catholic religious life returned
to Glasgow for the first time since the Reformation until 1918 and the passing of the
landmark Education (Scotland) Act. It concentrates on the influence and
achievements of the religious orders in their role as teachers and managers of a
number of primary, secondary and night schools in Glasgow as well as the role of the
Sisters of Notre Dame in their particular role as educators of Catholic teachers in
Glasgow. In 1918 Catholics in Scotland reversed the decision they took in 1872 to
remain outside the national system of education. From 1918 Religious education
according to use and wont was to be allowed within well-defined limits, but would not
be fostered by the civil authority, and provision was made for a revision of the
teacher-training system.
The thesis argues that the work of five religious orders, the Franciscans, the Sisters of
Mercy, the Marists, the Jesuits and The Sisters of Notre Dame in Catholic education in
Glasgow, made it feasible for Catholic schools to remain outside the state system after
the 1872 Education (Scotland) Act and until the passing of the 1918 Education
(Scotland) Act. Throughout the 46 years 1872-1918 the root problem for Catholic
education was finding money to subsidise Catholic schools. The key to the grants was
efficiency. The source of efficiency in schools was the Training College. As a result,
the story of Catholic education up to 1918 is largely one of how the increasing
financial burden, without any relief from the rates to which they contributed, was
borne by every section of the Catholic community in the endeavour to provide their
children with an education comparable to that given in the more favoured and
progressive rated schools.
The thesis argues that it was largely the contribution of the religious orders to Catholic
education in Glasgow during the second half of the nineteenth century and until 1918
that enabled Catholics to achieve what they did in the 1918 Education (Scotland) Act.
1
The success of the 1918 Act from the perspective of the Catholic community in
Glasgow therefore can be attributed largely to the work of the religious orders in
Glasgow.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion; L Education > LA History of education; L Education > LC Special aspects of education
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Supervisor's Name: MacKenzie, Dr. Malcolm and McPhee, Dr. Alastair
• Date of Award: 2002
• Depositing User: Miss Fiona Riggans
• Unique ID: glathesis:2002-1002
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 17 Aug 2009
• Last Modified: 18 Jul 2016 11:06
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/1002

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