History
South Tyneside College has provided education and training in South Tyneside for over 150 years.
Established in 1861 as a Marine School, the college has changed dramatically over the years to meet the evolving needs of both the local and regional community and the maritime industry.
The college enjoys a worldwide reputation for the outstanding quality of maritime training and is also very proud of the outstanding links with the local Borough.
The Marine School was founded in 1859 by local patron Dr Thomas Winterbottom – a former surgeon-general in Sierra Leone - who provided £21,000 to educate boys aged over 17 who wished to go to sea. The Marine School opened on 26 March 1861 in hired rooms in the Mechanics Institute (today the South Shields Museum). In 1869 a more permanent site was found, almost opposite on Ocean road. By 1918, staff generally numbered seven and the Marine School offered not just navigation and scientific training, but also marine engineering.
In 1951 the Marine School was taken over by the Local Education Authority and became the South Shields Marine and Technical College. It marked the start of a new era. The college no longer offered solely marine training. Instead, it offered a wide range of different subjects for the people of South Tyneside.
In 1957, due to increased demand and continual expansion, the College moved to its present site in Westoe. New departments opened in Electrical Engineering, Catering, General Studies and Maths and Science. Marine Training also developed and new facilities were added: A Planetarium (1964), Radar Station (1968), Seamanship Centre (1972) – now MSTC, Training Vessel on the Tyne (1971) and Ship’s Bridge Simulator (1981).
As the College expanded, so did neighbouring educational facilities. In 1955 the Hebburn Technical College grew out of the Jarrow Technical Institute, which was an offshoot of the Jarrow Grammar School. It was established to meet the large increase in demand for training for the local engineering, shipbuilding and mining industries.
The merger of South Shields and Hebburn in 1984 formed the College as known today.
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