History of Trinity College Carmarthen, 1848 - 1998

Trinity College, established by the Anglican Church in 1848, is the oldest surviving teacher training college in Wales. There have been many changes in the Welsh educational scene during the College's existence - the building of a network of elementary Church and state schools by the 1870s, the establishment of the first Welsh university college in 1872, the growth of secondary school provision from the 1890s, increased educational opportunities for the working classes since the 1944 Education Act, and the expansion of higher education from the 1960s - and in all these developments the quality and quantity of teachers has been of crucial importance.

Perceived originally as a means of alleviating both the ignorance and social unrest among the working classses, Trinity College has risen to the challenges posed by change. It has diversified in its provision of higher education while retaining its historic function as a teacher training institution, and has, during the last quarter century, experienced remarkable growth. This illustrated history provides a case study of the development of teacher training in Wales.