History Of The Development Of Naval Education

As naval education developed, so did the status of the naval instructors and the schoolmasters. 1861 marked a tuning point in the career of the former, for in that year he was appointed by Commission. If he desired, he might go out of uniform, but if he did not, he began to wear the blue distinction cloth which now marks the Instructor Branch to the outward eye. This blue stripe had formerly denoted the master, an important functionary in the days of sail, but now in a decline. From 1864 Naval Instructors were advanced in rank according to seniority, entering as two stripers and attaining three stripes after 15 years' service. The pay was fixed six years later at 12s. a day on entry rising to 22s. a day after 22 years service, In 1879 the wearing of uniform became compulsory.

The Seamen's Schoolmasters, with the rating of Petty Officer, First Class, underwent a rise in status when continuous service was introduced into the Navy in 1852. They were required to teach the boy entries and, in 1862, their title was altered to Naval Schoolmaster and they were expected to obtain a teacher's certificate. School in ships of the Fleet was conducted under the supervision of the Chaplain and, in the Boys' Training Ships, the Head Naval Schoolmaster was given acting warrant rank and received an extra 2s, a day while so employed. He wore black braid on his sleeve. In 1867 the Naval Schoolmaster, was rated Chief Petty Officer, ranking with the Master-at-Arms and drawing the same pay. His frock coat was adorned with two old stars on the collar as the Chief Writer's. A system of training Naval Pupil teachers was now started. Selected bluejackets were given three years' training and, if they passed the Queen's Scholarship examination, were sent to a training college. This scheme, however, was short lived owing to the antagonism of non-service teachers, and came to an end in 1874. But the Admiralty persevered and began to train Greenwich Hospital school boys who, after two years as pupil teachers and another in a training ship, took their teaching certificates. In 1889 the branch had another rise, when Head Naval Schoolmasters were given the substantive rank of Warrant Officers.

But school in seagoing ships was not a success and in 1889 the Naval Schoolmasters were withdrawn from the Fleet and employed in the training ships and the gunnery and torpedo schools. Many of them were either given a free discharge or allowed to become Chief Writers. Some of the latter returned to schoolmastering when vacancies occurred. But provision for school in seagoing ships still continued to be made by granting to Captains the power to appoint "Acting" Schoolmasters. These were suitable ratings from the ship's company recommended by the Chaplain; and they received, as they still do, an additional allowance for conducting the school.

As the administration of the school in a ship was the responsibility of the chaplain, so the elementary education of the Fleet was organised from 1858 by the Rev. Dr. J. Wooley, who assisted in the appointment of schoolmasters. After his retirement in 1874, the Chaplain of the Fleet was assisted in educational matters by the successive Directors of Studies at Greenwich College. But he was advised in the appointments of schoolmasters by a. Naval Instructor. No Naval officer had as yet become Director of Naval Education and, in 1905, that post was filled by Professor Ewing who had become Director of Studies at Greenwich two years previously. He appointed Naval Instructors and, in 1909, he took control of schoolmasters, although the link between the latter and the chaplain was not severed until the First World War. Sir Alfred Ewing made considerable educational advance in the technical education of boys and dockyard apprentices. He reorganised the dockyard schools, introducing laboratory work as part of the normal curriculum. "Technical lecturers were appointed to give professional instruction in shipbuilding, general and marine engineering and later in electrical engineering to third and fourth year apprentices of appropriate trades".