In 1872 a new Education (Scotland) Act resulted in the creation of School Boards throughout the country. Attendance at school was now compulsory for 5 to 13 year olds.
As a consequence the existing New Cumnock Parish School and the New Cumnock Free Church were closed.
New Cumnock Parish School
The school was situated on the south side of the road from the Old Mill to the Afton Bridge.
New Cumnock Free Church School
The school was attached to the Free Church built in 1843 on the castlehill . The building
‘The Disruption’ of 1843 saw many ministers throughout Scotland break away from the established Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland. New churches quickly appeared and these often were accompanied with their own schools. The Free Church in New Cumnock and its manse were built on the castlehill with the school and schoolhouse alongside.
In 1846, 19 year-old Andrew Stirling from Mauchline was appointed the first teacher of the Free School. He married Margaret Rowan from Ochiltree soon after and together they had four sons – Hugh, David, Andrew and John. The photograph is the Free Church Schoolhouse in later years (Courtesy of Morag Galbraith nee Shankland)
The plan was now to build the New Cumnock Public School, Bank School and erect Beoch School (wooden hut initially) while Dalleagles School was brought under control of the School Board.
In later years New Cumnock Public School served as a Higher Grade, Junior Secondary and Primary School. In later years the Bank School was extended while a new Dalleagles Primary School was built. St. Margaret’s Primary School was built at the Leggate and replaced with a new one in the town and in 1960 Cairnhill Primary School was built.
- New Cumnock School , Castle Primary School , New Cumnock Primary School
- Cairnhill Primary School
- Dalleagles School
- Bank School
- Beoch School
- St. Margaret’s Primary School