Education

The Nineteenth Century

In the early nineteenth century, finding good facilities proved difficult and there were many challenges, including: cost of operation, availability of teachers, proximity of schools, and availability of books. Pioneer life meant

hardship, and the children were needed on the farm or in the home – time away from home for education was not easy to set aside.

As early as 1797, the Upper Canadian Legislature had made provisions to set aside crown land for the establishment of a grammar school in each district, and a teacher to be nominated, subject to the approval of the Governor. The limited funds available from the Government meant that teachers had to collect tuition themselves – education was not yet free!

Schools in Bytown existed as early as 1827 – they were expensive to run, and had little furniture and no standards for the subjects taught or books used, fees charged, or the hours a school was in session. It is no wonder that schools’ existences were short lived. The Dalhousie District was created in 1842 and with it, the newly elected council of Local Government passed the Education Act of 1843. The first Superintendent of Schools as elected by the Council was Hamnett Pinhey, who had the charge of eighty teachers in the District, within the rough geographical space of County Carleton.

Public School Board

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