Anne Muirhead Mathams

FEIS A () or () is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival. The plural forms are () and (). The term is commonly used referring to Irish dance competitions and, in Ireland, to immersive teaching courses, specialising in traditional musi ...

(6 May 1913 – 21 February 2011) was a Scottish educationist, innovator and disability rights activist.

Early life

Anne Muirhead Mathams was born in Scotland in 1913, the elder of two children born to Robert Mathams and Annie Mathams. Her father died in 1924 as a result of injuries sustained during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Her grandfather was Walter John Mathams, a

Church of Scotland minister A Church of Scotland congregation is led by its minister and elders. Both of these terms are also used in other Christian denominations: see Minister (Christianity) and Elder (Christianity). This article discusses the specific understanding of ...

who wrote the popular children's hymn, "Jesus Friend Of Little Children".Obituary: Anne Muirhead Mathams, education and disability campaigner, 97
in ''The Scotsman'' 4 March 2011 Mathams attended St George's School for Girls in Edinburgh, and trained as a teacher at the Jersey Ladies' College and

Moray House The Moray House School of Education and Sport ('Moray House') is a school within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science at the University of Edinburgh. It is based in historic buildings on the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood Campus, ...

Career

While training as a teacher, Mathams found an interest in working with young children with physical disabilities. She was headmistress at Stanwell Nursery in 1936, at St Leonard's Nursery in 1939, and at Moray House Nursery in 1941. She became the first head mistress at the Westerlea School in 1948, in charge of a residential programme established by the Scottish Council for the Care of Spastics. She designed equipment, worked with therapists and parents, and created a mail-based program for children and families who could not attend in-person programming. She retired from teaching in 1978. Mathams was a founding member of

Capability Scotland Capability Scotland is a Scottish charity founded in 1946. Based in Edinburgh with operations across Scotland, it provides care, support, and education for disabled people. The charity offers residential care homes, care at home, housing support, ...

, and held a life membership in the

Educational Institute of Scotland The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is the oldest teachers' trade union in the world, having been founded in 1847 when dominies became concerned about the effect of changes to the system of education in Scotland on their professional s ...

. She was awarded the Elsie Inglis Award in 2000, recognizing her long career of service in education.

Personal life

Mathams died on 21 February 2011, aged 97 years, at the Colinton Care Home in Edinburgh.

References

External links

Anne Mathams profile

Obituary site referencing Miss Mathams
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mathams, Anne 1913 births 2011 deaths Heads of schools in Scotland Scottish educational theorists Scottish women activists Schoolteachers from Edinburgh British disability rights activists Place of birth missing Women heads of schools in the United Kingdom 20th-century Scottish educators 20th-century Scottish women educators