R. F. Mackenzie

Who was R. F. Mackenzie?

R F Mackenzie, a Scottish educationalist and headteacher, was one of the most original and controversial thinkers in 20th century Scotland.

He was born in Garioch in Aberdeenshire. Following active service in the RAF during the Second World War, he qualified as a teacher.

He was an advocate of the abolition of corporal punishment and he endeavoured to promote a progressive curriculum in secondary schools. Mackenzie published his opinions in a series of books in which he challenged the dominance of exams and a utilitarian educational ethos.

During the 1970s he was dismissed from his headteacher post in Summerhill Academy in Aberdeen following public criticism of his liberal approach to school discipline.