Annie Dick was appointed teacher
to Ferryden Infant School on 30 December 1874.
It had previously been run by a private trust
but under the terms of the 1873 Education Act
it became the responsibility of the County Council.
She had 48 boys and 67 girls under her care with
the assistance of a pupil teacher and a monitor
- a ratio of 1:38. She found the children noisy
and unruly and the school in need of complete
re-organisation.
Miss Dick set about making up a timetable and
arranged the children into classes by ability.
As most of the 100 pupils did not have books or
slates she needed to acquire these urgently.
Many hard pressed fisherfolk tried to have their
young children enrolled in the overcrowded school.
On 19 March 1875 the School Board authorised Miss
Dick to dismiss 63 children under the age of 5.
Many parents were very dissatisfied.
At the school's first inspection in 1875 it was
praised for its "unusually good appearance, which
is the result of exceptional ability, energy and
fidelity in the teacher."
Miss Dick herself was singled out as an excellent
teacher. She had made tremendous achievements
in improving the educational standards for the
young children of the parish despite the school
having an insufficient number of staff.
Miss Dick left Ferryden Infant School in February
1877.
