Freda Gwilliam

Freda Howitt Gwilliam (1907–1987) was a British educationist concerned about the education of girls and women in the British Empire. She was referred to as the "Great Aunt of British Colonial Education".

Life

Gwilliam was born in Feltham in 1907. Her parents were Kate Elizabeth (born Howitt) and Frederick William Gwilliam. Her father was a prison governor. She left Rochester Girl's Grammar School to read history at Girton College in Cambridge. She graduated in 1929 with an honours degree and went to teach at Falmouth county high school and then at Francis Holland School for girls. In 1936 she became a lecturer in Chichester at Bishop Otter Teachers' Training College.

Five years later, in 1941, she went to lead Brighton Training College. Space was at a premium and some of the colleges lessons were held in the Royal Pavilion.

In 1947 she gave up being a college principal to work at Britain's Colonial Office in a newly created role of "woman educational adviser". She worked for Sir Christopher Cox and it was her job to travel around the huge British Empire to meet Directors of Education to find out about the education of women and girls.

In the 1950s she guest lectured at UCL Institute of Education. When she was not touring the empire she interviewed women for key roles in education.