Stow College

College Heritage

Opened by the then Glasgow Corporation on 26 September 1934 the College takes its name from David Stow (1793-1864), a Victorian philanthropist and one of the greatest pioneers in the history of Scottish Education.

In response to the overwhelming need for proper education for children in Glasgow in the early 19th century, David Stow founded an infant school in 1828 in the Drygait area of the city.

Stow was an innovator and introduced revolutionary teaching methods such as visual aids and the concept of a ‘playground’. The new school aroused a great deal of interest and a Juvenile Department was begun in the Saltmarket in 1831.

It was Stow’s belief that properly trained teachers were the key to a good education and so in 1836 he established the ‘Normal Training Seminary’ at Dundas Vale in Cowcaddens area of Glasgow. The building, which still stands today, was the first purpose-built teacher training College in Great Britain.

So it was entirely appropriate that Glasgow’s first purpose-built College opened in Shamrock Street, just a stone’s throw away from the site of the Dundas Vale Seminary, should be named after David Stow.

Opened on the same day that the Queen Mary was launched on Clydeside, Stow College was described at the time as a ‘Trades School’.

The College initially provided evening courses to help the workers and companies of Clydeside towards economic recovery by ensuring that they were equipped with the very best technology skills and theory of the time.

In recent times Stow has continued to adapt to Glasgow’s – and Scotland’s changing economy providing training in management, computing, electronics, science, music and other areas.

Acknowledged as Glasgow’s Centre of Excellence, the professionally-recognised skills and qualifications now available from Stow College can help open doors to better paid, more rewarding and interesting jobs – the jobs of tomorrow.

In line with our commitment to widening access and social inclusion the College continues to reach out to its communities to make lifelong learning a reality for all.

In January 2000 the College opened a new campus as part of a £1.3m development (including significant European funding) to take the College into the new millennium. This project transformed the semi-derelict Shakespeare Street Primary School into a modern multi-functional learning facility.

Known as Stow West, this campus is just two miles from the College’s City campus and is located in the Maryhill area of Glasgow. This additional facility has enabled the College to further improve its scale and quality of service to all students, the community and local business.

In January 2006 a new £1.5m Science learning centre was opened at the City campus. The College has long been renowned for its science teaching and this investment now provides state-of-the-art learning facilities for science students.

Together with the establishment of links with the University of Strathclyde, the University of the West of Scotland and Glasgow Caledonian University, Stow College now offers the ideal learning environment for the student of today.

So just as David Stow sought to meet the educational needs of his time so the College that bears his name remains committed to that same ideal and will continue to be so, helping the people of Glasgow and the West of Scotland to meet the economic and social challenges that lie ahead.