Bho chionn ghoirid chuala Comunn Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis òraid mu eachdraidh ostailean sgoile mu thuath.
Mar a bhiodh dùil thug an t-òraidiche fiosrachadh air mar a thàinig na h-ionadan seo gu bith tro chaochladh ghluasadan ann an poileasaidh seirbheis foghlam na dùthcha, ach b’ iad aithrisean cuimhne chuid a bh’ air a bhith a’ fuireach ann an caochladh thè de na h-ostailean a dhùisg an cianalas san òraid inntinneach seo. Chuala sinn cuimhneachain thiamhaidh air na sgaraidhean goirt aig clann, mu dhusan bliadhna a dh’aois, a’ fàgail an cuid dachaigh agus a’ gluasad gu àrainneachd choimheach am measg choigreach! Tha deagh chuimhne agam fhìn air a leithid, agus air a bhith a’ coimhead a-mach air uinneig “Dorm 1” ann an Ostail Eilginn am Port Rìgh agus a’ faicinn bus Ghleann Dail a’ togail às a’ bhaile, is mi a’ faireachadh cràdh cianalais. Gu fortanach dhòmhsa cha do mhair sin fada, agus gun teagamh bha e na chuideachadh gum faodainn a dhol dhachaigh gach deireadh seachdaine nan tograinn. Cha b’ ann mar sin a bha dha cuid de na balaich eile idir ge-tà is dh’fheumadh iadsan a bha bho dhachaighean na b’ fhaide air falbh fuireach fad teirm anns an ostail, an eisimeil litrichean agus còmhraidhean fòn le pàrantan airson cofhurtachd.
Le lèirsinn na h-aoise chan eil mi idir cinnteach gun robh a’ mhòr-chuid againn a’ tuigsinn truimead an sgaraidh agus a’ chianalais a bha an fheadhainn sin a’ fulang, agus mar a bhiodh sin gu sònraichte gam buaireadh air an deireadh seachdain far am biodh uimhir againne air falbh dhachaigh is am beagan air am fàgail nan aonar. Leis gun robh seirbheis an fhoghlaim air a lìbhrigeadh leis na Comhairlean fa leth bhiodh clann Uibhist a Tuath is Na Hearadh a’ tighinn gu ruige Port Rìgh air an treas neo an ceathramh bliadhna san àrd-sgoil, agus gun teagamh bha e na chuideachadh dhaibh sin gun robh iad beagan na bu shine a’ fàgail na dachaigh. Bhiodh e cuideachd na thaic mhòr dha òigridh ma bha eòlaich eile a’ gluasad cuide riutha. Bha mise nam aonar air Prìomh 7 ann am Bun-sgoil Chealaboist, agus cha robh duine a b’ aithne dhomh ann an Àrd-sgoil Phort Rìgh neo anns an Ostail, is tha cuimhne agam a bhith a’ sùileachadh gum biodh cùisean car coltach ris mar a leugh mi ann an Tom Brown’s Schooldays! Aonranachd, caraidean ùra, “baisteadh” nam far-ainmean, burraidheachd, spòrs, chaidh e uile seachad agus shìol e na bhruadar de làithean geala na h-òigridh dhan mhòr-chuid againn, ged nach robh sin idir fior dha cuid a b’ fheudar gèilleadh dhan chianalas agus tilleadh dhachaigh.
Dhùisg na cuimhneachain seo às ùr is mi ag èisteachd ris an Iarla Spencer a’ bruidhinn air an leabhar a tha e air fhoillseachadh mu a chuimhneachain sgoile fhèin. Sgeulachd bhrùideil air clann air an cur air falbh gu sgoiltean aig ochd bliadhna a dh’aois, agus iad a’ fulang dochann an-iochdmhor bho inbhich nach robh riamh freagarrach a bhith an loco parentis!
Attendance at a recent splendid talk at Inverness Gaelic Society on the history of school hostels in the north, kindled mixed memories of six years in the early to mid-1960s during which I spent my school terms resident in the Elgin Hostel in Portree.
Leaving home at 12 years of age was dramatic, particularly as I didn’t know anyone who was in the hostel, and I knew nothing of it or Portree High School. There were no advance introductory visits in those days, and as a new intake from a “country” primary school you were dropped into a new world of strangers. I had read Thomas Hughes’ Tom Brown’s Schooldays and thought that might be what to expect!
New places, new friends, homesickness, nickname “christening” ceremony, all passed by and over the distance of years everything merged into a blur of nostalgic memories. Some events do retain clarity, such as early bullying by some older boys in the hostel and the school, and also bullying by a hostel matron and her teacher husband as they imposed petty regimes in loco parentis.
However, the worst of these memories seemed totally insignificant as I listened to Earl Spencer speak of his experience as an eight-year-old sent to board at an expensive public school at which he was abused sexually, and corporally, by staff who were clearly totally unsuitable to be in loco parentis. But the educational tradition of these schools were (are?) regarded as critical to perpetuating an elite upper-class social structure.
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