Darlington College of Education was a

teacher training Teacher education or teacher training refers to programs, policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they require to perform their t ...

college which existed for over one hundred years in the town of Darlington, County Durham in northern England. The college was founded in 1876 by the

British and Foreign School Society The British and Foreign School Society (BFSS) offers charitable aid to educational projects in the UK and around the world by funding schools, other charities and educational bodies. It was significant in the history of education in England, suppor ...

at Vane Terrace, Darlington. Details of the college's physical expansion, student residences and principals can be found on the website of the Darlington Arts Centre which now occupies its former main building. (See External Link) For most of its life the college was mainly concerned with the training of

nursery school A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary school ...

teachers. A period of rapid expansion in the 1960s saw it grow in size to about 450 students by the early 1970s. A general training for infant and junior teachers was offered, as well as three specialist courses in biology, mathematics and physical education for secondary teachers. Academic validation of courses was provided by the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...

. Darlington was one of nearly fifty colleges forced to close down because of an enormous cut-back in planned teacher numbers by central government. David Hencke's book on these events selects Darlington as one of four case studies and explores the political vulnerability of the college. The final cohort of students left the college in 1978.

References

External links

Arts Centre History
{{coord, 54.5263, -1.5656, region:GB-DAL_type:landmark, display=title Education in the Borough of Darlington Defunct universities and colleges in England