Aspects of education in Scottish literature

Abstract

The dissertation analyses various aspects of education in Scottish literature. The thesis attempts to answer the following key questions: If historically speaking the Scottish educational system is said to be one of the best, why then are there hardly any reflections of this ideal to be found in Scottish literature? Why are most teachers described as dysfunctional and the schoolchildren as frustrated with the system? The dissertation examines literary examples taken from recent or contemporary Scottish literature. However, the opening chapter centres on kailyard literature and myth-making contained in the meritocratic lad of pairts imagery. The second chapter analyses how the schoolchild perceives education. Chapter three focuses particularly on dysfunctional representations of the teacher, whereas chapter four attempts conclusively to show that the representations of education in Scottish writings do not correspond to the ideals expressed in George Davie's Democratic Intellect.