Coelbren School 2
Beginnings
In December 1894, without fuss or formality, the school at Coelbren opened in the iron-clad vestry of Moriah Baptist chapel, although with much of the equipment yet to arrive. The head teacher experienced many difficulties in the first few weeks and a consistant attendance was to be a problem for years to come. Some of these problems are referred to in these extracts from the School Log Books.
The children attending the school were very much those of the poor families in the area and poverty and illness were to be a constant threat.
Coelbren School
Log Books
Despite these initial problems the new school attracted the attention of local celebrity and land owner Madame Adelina Patti of Craig-y-Nos who treated the children to what must have been for them a special experience in the first weeks of the schools existence, although the head teacher does not sound particularly pleased at the occurence.
County Archives
B/E/PS/L/1
In April 1895 Mrs Davies records a particular difficulty of language.
This was at a time when the Welsh language was very much discouraged in many areas of the principality and the emphasis was very much on literacy in English. To the head teacher then, this was yet another problem to be overcome.
