School Establishment Act 1616 Facts for Kids

The School Establishment Act 1616 was an important law made in Scotland on December 10, 1616. It was created by a special group called the Privy Council. This law said that every local area, called a parish, in Scotland needed to have a school. These schools would be paid for by the public and watched over by the Church. This act came after a big change in religion in Scotland, known as the Scottish Reformation. It also became the foundation for all future laws about setting up schools in Scotland.

Why Was This Law Made?

The School Establishment Act 1616 had several key goals:

King James VI wanted to make sure that Protestantism was supported everywhere.
He also wanted everyone, especially young people, to get a good education. This meant learning good manners, religious values, and general knowledge.
The law aimed to make the 'Inglis' (an early form of English) the main language across Scotland. It wanted to get rid of Gaelic because some believed it caused people in the Highlands and Islands to be less "civilized."

So, the law decided that a school would be set up in every parish. How these schools would work:

Local people in the parish would pay for the school.
Church bishops would supervise the schools.
Official letters would be sent out so everyone knew about these new rules.

This act also showed the power struggle happening at the time between two church groups: the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians. The law said bishops would supervise schools, which was the Episcopalian way. Presbyterians believed that local church councils, called presbyteries, should be in charge.

The ideas for this law mostly came from the teachings of John Knox. He was a key leader in the Scottish Reformation. His book, the Book of Discipline, said that everyone, especially young people, should be educated. The act followed this idea by having the government set up schools supervised by the Church.

Some people who liked Highland culture agreed that education should be available to everyone. However, they felt that the government's efforts in the Highlands and Islands were more about stopping Gaelic culture than truly helping with education.

This act by itself was not very effective because it didn't explain how to actually make the schools happen. Later, the Education Act 1633 passed by the Parliament helped put these plans into action. The 1616 act remained an important part of Scots law for managing schools for a long time, even into the 1800s.

School Establishment Act 1616 facts for kids

Why Was This Law Made?

See also