ABSTRACT

This paper examines a period in Scottish educational history when civil servants, not politicians, were in the ascendancy in the initiation of policy. The first three Secretaries of the Scotch/Scottish Education Department (SED) – Henry Craik (1846-1927), John Struthers (1857-1925) and George Macdonald (1862-1940) – enjoyed considerable authority, which enabled them to set the tone of the Department’s relations with schools and local authorities. This was possible for a number of reasons: the administrative challenges following the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872; the growing strength of the civil service; weak political leadership; the location of the SED in London, not Edinburgh. The paper examines the Department’s reaction to criticism, including demands for an Advisory Council on Education. It is argued that while some of the policies pursued by Craik, Struthers and Macdonald represented sensible pragmatic responses to rapidly developing circumstances, their management style established a pattern that had unfortunate longer-term consequences.

摘要

本文考察了苏格兰教育史上的一个时期，当时公务员而非政治家在政策制定方面处于优势地位。苏格兰/苏格兰教育部 (SED) 的前三位秘书 – Henry Craik (1846-1927)、John Struthers (1857-1925) 和 George Macdonald (1862-1940) – 享有相当大的权威，这使他们能够定下基调教育部与学校和地方当局的关系。这可能有多种原因：1872 年教育（苏格兰）法案之后的行政挑战；公务员队伍日益壮大；政治领导薄弱；SED 的位置在伦敦，而不是爱丁堡。该文件审查了教育部对批评的反应，包括要求成立教育咨询委员会。