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The word schoolmaster, or simply master, refers to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British independent schools, both
Where a school has more than one schoolmaster, a man in charge of the school is the headmaster, sometimes spelt as two words, "head master". This name survives in British independent schools, but it has been replaced by ''head teacher'' in most British publicly funded schools, although "headmaster" is often still used colloquially, particularly in grammar schools, and is equivalent to the principal in
The schoolmaster: or, A plain and perfect way of teaching children to understand, write, and speak the Latin tongue
(1570; Based on the edition reproduced by Menston Scolar Press, 1967)
Google books text
* Edward Egglestone, ''The Schoolmaster in Literature'' (2003) Titles Education and training occupations Education in the United Kingdom
The word schoolmaster, or simply master, refers to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British independent schools, both secondary
Secondary may refer to: Science and nature
* Secondary emission, of particles
** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products
* The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...
and preparatory, and a few Indian boarding schools (such as The Doon School) that were modelled after British public schools, but is generally obsolete elsewhere.
Origins
The word “master” in this context translates the Latin word magister. In England, a schoolmaster was usually a university graduate, and until the 19th century the only universities were Oxford and Cambridge. Their graduates in almost all subjects graduated asBachelors of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
and were then promoted to Masters of Arts (''magister artium'') simply by seniority. The core subject in an English grammar school was Latin.
Usage
Where a school has more than one schoolmaster, a man in charge of the school is the headmaster, sometimes spelt as two words, "head master". This name survives in British independent schools, but it has been replaced by ''head teacher'' in most British publicly funded schools, although "headmaster" is often still used colloquially, particularly in grammar schools, and is equivalent to the principal in American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
schools. The term "headmaster" also survives in some American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
and Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
independent schools.
A range of other terms is derived from "schoolmaster" and "headmaster", including deputy headmaster (the second most senior teacher), senior master and second master (both used in some independent schools instead of deputy headmaster), and housemaster, the schoolmaster in charge of a boarding school
A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
). Some independent schools use other titles for the head of the teaching staff, including "High Master" and "Rector".
The female equivalent of "schoolmaster" is schoolmistress, which is used with all the same prefixes.
The archaic term for the second schoolmaster in a school in England is usher.''Reports of the Commissioners Appointed in Pursuance of Acts of Parliament'', Volume 33 (1839), p. 628
See also
* Education in the United KingdomReferences
{{ReflistBibliography
* Ascham, RogerThe schoolmaster: or, A plain and perfect way of teaching children to understand, write, and speak the Latin tongue
(1570; Based on the edition reproduced by Menston Scolar Press, 1967)
Google books text
* Edward Egglestone, ''The Schoolmaster in Literature'' (2003) Titles Education and training occupations Education in the United Kingdom