Pelham Continuation School - Pelham Pnyx (Fenwick, Ontario Canada)

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mg-49f'x.AAa! PElf'i'i 1940

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THE PELHAM PNYX 39 The man responsible for the setting up of the system which prevails even today as free schools, was Egerton Ryerson. He was named in 1844 as the man who was to find a way of providing better common schools. After spending some time abroad, he picked out the best features of the school systems of New York, Massachusetts and Prussia and combined them in a plan for Ontario. Owing to opposition the system was not written into the laws of Ontario until 1850. From that time on Ryerson was a very busy man. In the organization of higher education in Ontario, john Strachan took a leading part. High or Grammar Schools were established by the govern- ment before the common schools. Where were some of these schools? John Strachan's private school at Cornwall was one of the first best known schools in Ontario, lt later became the Eastern District School. Kingston was the seat of the Midland District school. Another great school was situated at York. lt was the Home Dis- trict School. There were District schools at Cobourg, at Niagara, at Vit- toria, at Brockville, at Hamilton and Windsor. Grantham Academy became later the St. Catharines Collegiate. There was a Grammar School of some distinction at Fonthill. Ryerson retired from oliice in 1876. Since that time the Department of Education has been in charge of a responsible member of the government, the Minister of Education. Ryerson died in 1881, having seen the desire of his eyes-an equal chance of education for every boy and girl in the province. What do we, the pupils of 1940, owe to the early schools, schoolmasters and trustees? The pioneers gave us a free land where we can think and express ourselves. They gave us the traditions of the past, a high respect for Canada and the Empire. They gave us our excellent school system which they them- selves did not have. They didn't have the books, and line buildings and well qualified teachers that we now have. But they learned to be good citizens in their day just as we are trying to be good citizens today and we owe them a debt of gratitude. Al. OLD SQUARE LOG SCHOOLHOUSE ON SCUGOG ISLAND From F. C. Weir's Scugog and its Environsu -Courtesy Ontario Publishing Co., Ltd.

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40 THE. PELHAM PNYX TRAVEL AS A MEANS OF EDUCATION By Mary McCombs, GRADE X TRAVEL is such a vast subject that only a small portion of it may be con- sidered in one essay. Some people travel because business demands it, others for pleasure and some for education. I am going to consider travel as a means of education. At school we study the subject of Geography, learn about new lands, and peoples and their customs. We have an idea that we understand it, but we do not really get a first class knowledge of them till vve make a visit to those lands. Let us imagine we are going to Japan, that land of strange customs, that land of dazzling blossoms and fairy landscapes. We sailed from New York harbour and in the course of two weeks we arrived at the northern island of Japan, Hokkaido. XVe were welcomed heartily by the Japanese in their sort of hissing lang- uage. In ceremony and in politeness the people of japan can hardly be out- done. Their greetings and salutations, their apologies and requests, breathe extreme humility on the part of the speaker and unbounded admiration of the one addressed. Perhaps Japanese children have a happier time than any other children in the world. Their fathers and mothers are devoted to them, and train them from babyhoocl to be self-controlled and polite to everyone, to be gentle in their ways and to be fond of work. And all this lays the foundation of life- long happiness. Spoiled, selfish, idle, cross and miserable children are rarely met with in Japan. The country in appearance is somewhat like that of the New England States. There were mountains and rich forests of oak, maple and alder in the lower foothills. Rich fertile fields were planted with crops such as wheat, peas, potatoes and flax. There were also vast orchards of plum trees, apples, pears and peaches. We wanted to see Sapporo, the capital of this island, so we used the rail- way for transportation. This allowed us to see acres of rice which is Japan's most important crop. Sapporo appeared like most of our North American cities, because it had just been built in recent years. It was in the cities and towns that we saw japan's millions of inhabitants. Many too were engaged in the fields, for agriculture is certainly actively car- ried on in Japan. as in China. We saw thousands employed in the fishing industry, for fish is very plentiful and is one of the chief articles of food. But we could see that tall, smoky chimneys were rapidly rising in many industrial centres in Japan. The houses in Japan were built of wood with tough paper for windows and the partitions simply sliding doors. Paper served as umbrellas and water- proofs, and often a farmer or fisherman was observed wearing a cloak of thatch. Beds in the houses were made of thick quilts laid on the floor, with wood- en pillows, all removed in the daytime. It was seen that everything in ajap- anese home was tastefully arranged so as to give pleasure to the eye, and all was spotlessly clean. Many travellers go to Japan for these islands are a central station in a tour around the world, and all admire their scenery and flowers, and their temples, tombs and festivals, which recall an interesting past. And so we have learned a great deal about Japan already by travelling through a small part of it, and as a result we now know about its customs at first hand. And therefore you will see what I mean when I say that travel is an important means of education.