Why did David Stow establish the Glasgow Normal Seminary in 1834?

David Stow established the Glasgow Normal Seminary in 1834 because he was unimpressed by the monitorial system that dominated teacher preparation at the time.1

While the monitorial system—which relied on masters instructing senior pupils or "monitors" to pass knowledge to others—was widely used due to its simplicity and low cost, it was criticized for its heavy emphasis on mechanical learning, drill, and repetition. By founding the seminary, Stow sought to provide an alternative approach to teacher training, eventually producing graduates known as "trainers" who served in schools across Scotland and various British colonial territories.1