Sara Annie Burstall

Life

Burstall was born in Aberdeen in 1859. Her father had a number of jobs until a legacy in the 1870s made the family financially secure. She was educated first by a governess, then at Dr Lyon's Union Street Scottish Academy in Aberdeen, then, in London, at Camden School for Girls, and finally at the North London Collegiate School, to which she won a scholarship in 1875 (both the latter schools having been founded by Frances Mary Buss). She won a place to study mathematics at Girton College, Cambridge, but failed to get a first. She returned to the North London Collegiate School to teach, and rose to become deputy head, while at the same time obtaining a BA in divinity.

In 1898 Burstall took over as headmistress of Manchester High School for Girls. She was the second head and she took over from Elizabeth Day who had led the school since it was founded in 1874. The building is now occupied by the University of Manchester School of Social Sciences. In 1893 she travelled to the USA where she studied education and whote her first book, "The Education of Girls in the United States".

Burstall's approach to education was controversial as she introduced two streams. The girls of lower ability were steered away from academic ambition and towards newly introduced domestic subjects. Burstall defended this approach as a way to attract more pupils but it has been considered a step backwards from the partial educational equality that had been achieved. Burstall made a second trip to the USA and when she returned she published "Impressions of American Education in 1908".

Burstall resigned in 1924 and spent time writing. She died in Fulham in 1939 missing the upheavals at her old school caused by the war.

Selected works