At a west of Scotland primary school in the 1950's we sang songs like 'The Ash Grove', 'Barbara Allan', 'Sir Eglamour', 'Early One Morning' etc. from a series of little song books (sometimes in staff notation and sometimes sol fa) titled "Folk, National and Art Songs of the British Isles".
Then at Rutherglen Academy in 1957 our English teacher Norman Buchan started a Ballads Club where we sang all sorts -- American songs from Pete Seeger, the Weavers, Woody Guthrie etc.; bothy ballads from the north-east of Scotland; the muckle sangs; some Gaelic songs, courtesy of a native speaker who was also an English teacher; calypsos; spirituals etc. etc. etc.
And we also saw live performances from people such as Jeannie Robertson, Flora MacNeil, Jimmy McBeath, The Weavers and Pete Seeger, Rambling Jack Elliott and Cisco Houston!
As Johnmc said, Norman went on to edit "101 Scottish Songs" in 1962 (known informally as The Little Red Song Book) and then "The Scottish Folksinger" in1973, with Peter Hall. Both books are highly sought after and still a source of great versions of great songs.
And 53 years after the Ballads Club started there are still umpteen indebted people who sing these songs (some professionally) and pass them on to others. How wonderful is that!