PAGE 8, WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1979, WHITBY FREE PRESS Brian Wintori Historie ai p ç,Z? W . Whitby GRAMMAR SCHOOL Since last week was Education Week, it might be of interest to our readers to take a look at how education was viewed by the community in Whitby's early days. In 1846, the first Grammar School in the Durham Region (the equivelant of today's high school) was established at THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF WHITBY NOTICE A PUBLIC MEETING The Administrative Committee of the Council of the Town of Whitby will be holding a Public Meeting on Monday, May 7, 1979 at 7:30 p.m. In the Meeting Hall of the Whitby Municipal Building, 575 Rossiand Road East, to consider a. subdivision development proposai which involves the property indicated on the following sketch. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the development proposal and to receive public comment on the proposai. The subdivision proposai calls for the creation of 22 single family detached lots and 5 semi-detached lots for a total of 32 residential units. Al material relating to the proposai is on file and is available for public inspection at the Planning Department, Whitby Municipal Building, 575 Rossiand Road East, Whitby, Ontario. Telephone: (416) 668-5803. ;I I N oPRopErTY Du das St ROBERT J. CARSON, Chairman Administrative Committee KEVIN J. TUNNEY, Director of Planning Planning Department Whitby. This institution was founded by Peter Perry, Ezra Annes, Samuel'Cochrane and other leading citizens of the town. In 1850, nearly 130 years ago, during the summer term, there were about 40 students at the school. "The branches taught range from simple English reading to Latin, Greek and Mathematics, thus putting within the reach of Scholars aný education as complete and varied, as is commonly required, and preparing for the University the few who are intended for it," the local newspaper stated. "Niow that we have such a school, we trust parents will largely avail themselves of it," the paper continued. "Twice as many pupils might be taught as are now sent, and there are twice as many within convenient distance, who might be sent, if parents chose. "Why should any one have his family grow up in darkness when the light is so near? the editor asked. Why should anyone deprive himself of the respectability and happiness which intelligent and well-informed children confer, when he can so easily make his both?" School attendance at that time was not compulsory, and the parents had to pay fees for their children to attend school. No wonder, the editor of the paper was trying to make the school's advantages known. The subject of female education is interestingly dealt with by the editor of 1850, for few girls were afforded the opportunity of an education at that time. The boys who had to earn the family's living were given as much educational opportunity as possible, but the woman's place seemed to be in the home. However, by the 1850s there was a movement afoot to open the educational doors to young women. These are the comments of the editor of the Whitby Reporter on this subject in 1850: "It particularly pleased us to see several female scholars in attendance. This is as it should be. Only a morbid state of feeling can keep them from enjoying the advantages of the School; such a state of feeling as would be well done away. "In country towns in Britain, and in many schools in the cities, both sexes receive instruction together, and not only .does no harm, but.under such a master as we seem to have, humanizer and refines the boys, while it gives the girls advantages they could not otherwise obtain. "On the ground of delicacythere cari be no valid objection, BROOKLIN NURSERIES Hwy. 7 11/4 Miles West of Hwy. 12 Spring Special On Our Juniper Spreaders Good selection of our own Fieldgrown trees, Evergreens, Shrubs, Ponderosa, and Austrian Pines, Colorado Blue, White and Black Spruce and Hardy Ontario Grown Roses. Customers may select their own trees in the field. Maintainence work, landscaping and grass cutting also available. F- Aý v and as we have hinted, on the ground advantages conferred, there is a strong recommendation of the practice. "Without in the least disparaging the teaching of Mistresses, which is most necessary in some departments, it appears to us that for many branches a Master is better fitted. A man can scarcely be expected to do both a man and woman's work, and a woman can scarcely be expected to do both a woman and a man's. "Experience has led so fully to this opinion in Britain, that even in many Ladies' Institutions, gentlemen are retained as teachers. Strictly female education seems the work assigned there to Mistresses; those students which are common to both sexes, being very generally left in the hands of the Masters. "If the belief that this is the best plan for the instruction of female youth, we trust that many parents will send their daughters to the Grammar School forthwith. The respecta- bility of the parties who have already given the example, is a security that the result will be beneficial." The editor has a word for the young men of the community too. "To young men desirous of improvement, the Grammar School presents great advantages. The terms are low and the training thorough. We are so glad to see that some have been wise enough to attend in the past quarters. It is a great credit to them that they have done so. It shows them to have self respect, and a desire to rise, which augurs well for them in the future." The head master of the Whitby Grammar School, Thomas Hodgson, was praised for "the order preserved amoig the scholars, the manner in which he conducts his classes, and the excellent moral tone of his instructions in those branches which permit of an expression of sentiment." Next week this column will take a look at the examination proceedures in the Whitby Grammar School and present some more comments on higher education in 1850. Whitby school librarian gets Educa Jean Free, a Durham Board of Education library consultant, from Whitby, received the 1979 Educator's Award at a breakfast held to kick off Education Week. Mrs. Free, who started her teaching career in 1944, has worked for the Whitby and Durham Region Boards of Education since 1968. She has been involved with development of a library curriculum for elementary schools, organizing parent volunteer workshops and establishing a policy com- mittee on procedures for dealing with controversial books. Other projects taken on by Mrs. Free include the pub- lishing of a monthly news- letter for school librarians, à tor's Award and preparing a list of audio- visual equipment available across the region. The award was presented to Mrs. Free by Neil Simp- son, chairman of the Educa- tor's Breakfast Committee and President of the Ontario Public School Men Teachers' Federation, District 17. Mr. Simpson said Mrs. Free was chosen as recipient of the 1979 Educators' Award because she worked "beyond and above the call of duty." In her acceptance speech, Mrs. Free said she consi- dered her winning the award a reflection on all librarians in the Durham system. The Educators' Breakfast was held at the Harwood Secondary School in Ajax. Deloitte Haskins+SellS Chartered Accountants LocalPartners: Josef Adam,B.Sc.(Econ.>, CA AnthonyJ. Murray, CA Gordon F. Sedgewick,CA Burt RWaters, FCA Bell Canada Building,0shawa Centre, RO. Box 800, Oshawa, L1H 7N1 Telephone: (416) 579-8202 Offices across Canada and associated firms throughout the world ký-2i