The School

Robert Owen’s School for Children is probably the most famous building in the entire village and was completed by Robert Owen in 1817. Made famous by its size and by what took place within its walls, it accommodated the children of the village from about one year up to they reached ten years of age. They were taught a wide curriculum, not merely restricted to the three R’s, but also including music, the expressive arts including singing and dancing, and visual aids in the form of painting and sculpture.

History and geography were also taught and an early form of environmental studies introduced including nature walks and outside excursions. The pupil - teacher ratio was good, even by the standards of today. 12 teachers taught 194 children in the elementary school; 7 teachers were in charge of 80 pupils in the infant school.

No corporal punishment was permitted and the children were furnished with school uniforms, consisting of light cotton dresses for the girls and cotton tunics for the boys.

The school represented Owen’s greatest attempt to realise a more modern and rational social system by means of education and, for this ‘social experiment’, Owen is still remembered today. The infant school is widely recognised as the first of its kind in the world. Today many people from all parts of the world visit New Lanark because of this just as, indeed, many people were attracted to do so in Owen’s time, notably the Grand Duke of Russia, who came to see the village for himself.
Starting work at the age of 10 did not mean, in Owen’s mind, the end of education. He encouraged families to leave the children at school until they were at least 12 years old, but continued to provide evening classes, lectures, concerts and dancing for all ages in the Institute.