Some patterns in the early history of Newfoundland education, 1578-1836

Oppenheimer, Jo (1982) Some patterns in the early history of Newfoundland education, 1578-1836. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis studies Newfoundland educational patterns that existed between the late sixteenth century and the early nineteenth century, the period from Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s first landing and the first government education act. It challenges earlier works that claim that there was little or no educational activity in Newfoundland until the late eighteenth century or even the early nineteenth century. It also refutes the argument that Newfoundlanders were uncivilized and akin to savages before religious and/or government sponsored education was established. -- The period studied has been divided into three sections, each relating to approximately one century. The first period was determined to be an era dominated by the Christian church - both Protestant and Roman Catholic - during which the lives of people were controlled by the church and knit together by trade relationships. While society in Newfoundland was quite unstable, education in Newfoundland reflected the traditional patterns of church education, apprenticeship and naval training. -- The eighteenth century was discovered to be a time when the church was losing its pervasive control and society was in transition to a new world order. English settlement was firmly established in Newfoundland and education exhibited the transition characteristics of the new missionary movement of the Church of England and increased activity in apprenticeship and naval training. -- The early nineteenth century saw the emergence of the middle class as the controlling force of the new world order. The pattern of education which was just emerging in the eighteenth century schooling grew in importance while apprenticeship and naval training declined. Religious education took second place to the more important economic oriented education. Societies - charity, religious and school - sponsored education as did private enterprise, until the Newfoundland government passed the education act in 1836 which provided funds to ensure the financial security of the schools established by the societies and made available schooling in areas which heretofore had to formal education. -- The result of pairing educational events with political, economic, and social history has confirmed the premise that the content of education depends upon who controls society. The early history of Newfoundland education, therefore, directly related to the dominant trends in its general history.

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