Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/631

 SCHOOLS

569

SCHOOLS

cold in the forest and on the desert banks of the gulf. Next, they asked for missionaries and for persons capable of teaching reading and writing to their chil- dren. For lack of priests they had to be content on Sunday with reading the prayers for Mass, and it was imperative to teach their children the truths of religion as contained in the short catechism. Fifty years and more passed before it became possible for them — ^such was their extreme poverty, and so pre- carious the conditions of their existence — to procure the service of any school-teacher. However, at the close of the Napoleonic Wars, adventurers, sailors, deserters, or tourists came from France, who knew how to read and write, and their services were eagerly accepted. The old residents still remember M. Grenet, who taught at Barachois, M. Gabriel Albert, who taught at Grande Digue, M. Jean Lemenager, who taught at Memramcook, M. Alexandre Theo- dore, who taught at Petit-Codiac (Ruisseau du Renard) and in neighbouring parishes.

Then came the Abbe Antoine Gagnon, parish priest of Barachois, of Grande Digue, of Shediac (Gedaique), etc., who founded a college at Grande Digue. This school remained open for two years (1833 to 1835), with three teachers, Messrs. Des Varennes, Braidly, and Gosselin. When the lands and properties of this institution were afterwards sold, the proceeds were placed in the hands of Mgr Sweeney, in trust for the education of young Acadians, in the event of another college being built in the dio- cese for any other similar purpose. During the first years that followed the return of the Acadians, after their dispersion, teachers boarded with the scholars' parents in turn, and received from $3 to $5 per scholar, which means that only the prosperous cen- tres could procure their services. In those days the Acadians received from the British Protestant au- thorities the fulness of their political and civil rights without molestation or annoyance in things religious or relating to the French language. The thinly populated country did not as yet complain of the burden of its school laws.

The first act to be found in the Statutes of New Brunswick concerning education is dated 1805 and relates to the founding of a public grammar school for the City of Saint John. It is therein enacted that the rector of Trinity Church shall be one of the direc- tors of this school, and at the same time president of the Board of Administration. A somewhat paltry grant was awarded to this establishment. In the same manner, other grammar schools were authorized for different localities in New Brunswick. The first law establishing public parish schools dates from 1833. These schools are placed under the control of three school trustees for each parish. These trustees possess great executive authority. They subdivide the parishes into school districts, engage and dismiss teachers, and give them such certificates as entitle them to their grants from the Government, the maximum of which is $160 for each parish. The justices of the peace are entrusted with the duty of making school reports to the Government. No cer- tificate of competence was exacted beyond the appro- bation of the parochial syndics, and no examination as to aptitude was held. It was not until many years afterwards (towards 1853) that the Board of Educa- tion, with its hierarchy and inspectors, was definitely organized. These latter, until the events of 1871, always showed kindness and liberality towards Cathohc teaching and the French tongue. The Catholic teachers received from the board their grant, as did also the Protestant teachers, French and English alike. In 1871 a law was passed by the Provincial Legislature establishing "Neutral Schools", in which the French language was ignored; but it was taught in the French schools and was afterwards recognized officially. The French and the English

Catholics protested energetically against this unjust measure. Petitions were signed and sent to Ottawa requesting the repeal of this law, which was injuri- ous to the Catholics who constituted one-third of the population of the Province. Some turbulent and stormy years passed over; certain defenders of the minority were imprisoned, and finally a modus vi- veruli was adopted to the effect that the school re- main neutral from 9 a. m. till 3.30 p. m. The books shall be approved by the Government. The use of the French language was recognized, and a set of books was chosen to that end.

After the regular school hours the Catechism was perrnitted to be taught. Nowadays all the schools of New Brunswick are under the control of the law, even those exclusively attended by Catholic children. The number of Catholic children frequenting the schools is about 23,000; the teachers, male and female, number about 600. About eighteen convents under the direction of various religious congregations are scattered through the principal centres of the province. There are three colleges: one at Chatham (English) founded in 1910, directed by the Basilian Fathers, and containing 90 pupils ; one at Caraquet, French and English, founded in 1899 by the Eudist Fathers, and containing 150 pupils; one at Memramcook (I'Uni- versite du College Saint-Joseph), French and Eng- lish, founded in 1864, directed by the Fathers of the Holy Cross, and containing 250 pupils. With the exception of a few convents these institutions are not under state control.

E. Prince Edward Island. — The system of public schools in this province is not denominational. There are therefore no primary Catholic schools, except seven convents under the direction of the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame. All the schools have been under the immediate control of the State since 1877 and are strictly neutral, or non-sectarian. Besides the convents, which teach about one thousand girls, there is a Catholic college for boys, which ac- commodates about one hundred and fifty. Nearly all the pupils of this college are boarders, and their education costs them about .$150 each, while, of the thousand girls in the convents, there are barely one hundred boarders, whose education costs each about $60. The Government pays $720 to the Sisters who teach the provincial normal school conformably to the programme of studies prescribed by the Depart- ment of Education. The other 900 girls who attend the convent schools receive their education for a nominal payment. The majority pay nothing. Gen- erally speaking, the expense of heating the schools is borne by the respective parishes in which the con- vents are situated, and, in return the day-scholars living in the vicinity of the convent are educated gratuitously. Until 1850 there were very few schools among the Acadians. In each parish there were two men who taught reading, writing, and arithmetic.

F. Manitoba. — The first French schools in this province were established in 1818 on the arrival of the Rev. Norbert Provencher, afterwards Bishop Pro- vencher, and the Rev. Nicholas Dumoulin. Bishop Provencher opened his first school at St. Boniface, and Father Dumoulin opened his at Pembina. As the population increased, the schools multiplied. In 1835, notwithstanding that the population was very limited, there were already five schools. After many efforts Bishop Provencher succeeded in found- ing a school at Red River for young girls, and the first teacher was Angelique Nolin (Metis). In 1844 the Gray Nuns of Montreal, at the earnest request of Bishop Provencher, came to the West. Those who arrived first were Sisters Lagrave, Lafrance, Valade, Coutlee. The first convent founded by them was at St. Boniface, and the second at St. Fran^ois- Xavier. In 1835 Bishop Provencher got an English teacher for his boys' school. This school in time be-