The 'Wee School'

"The Wee School" was built in I86I and was used as such until the early I960's for children of five and six years old. The primary school was at the eastern side of the village for seven to eleven year olds. The Wee School had only the one big room with a big fireplace, fireguard and paraffin lamps. The teacher's room and toilet were upstairs. On the wall hung two big maps. One of The World with the British Empire countries coloured Pink and a map of Scotland. A big blackboard on an easle and the high desk with a sloping lid for the teacher faced the rows of children's desks. The clever pupils sat at the back and those who struggled or who misbehaved were at the front.. The children wrote on slates with slate pencils and had a sponge and a bottle of water to wipe their slate and have a clean slate to start again. Slates were set within a wooden frame about A5 size. The pencils screeched when writing. A horrible sound!
The wee school was sold to the Kirk of Calder for a church hall when no longer required for education.