Egerton Ryerson and Education in Upper Canada Part 3

Late in the year 1828, Sir Peregrine Maitland was replaced as Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada by Sir John Colborne. About the same time Sir George Murray, who had acted as Administrator of the Government of Upper Canada in 1815, and who consequently knew something of Canadian affairs, became Colonial Secretary in the Imperial Parliament. In acknowledging receipt of the pet.i.tion to His Majesty of the a.s.sembly of Upper Canada protesting against the King's College charter, Sir George Murray, in a communication to Sir John Colborne, said:[26] "It would be deservedly a subject of regret to His Majesty's Government, if the University, recently established at York, should prove to have been founded upon principles which cannot be made to accord with the general feelings and opinions of those for whose advantage it was intended.... I have observed that your predecessor (Sir Peregrine Maitland) in the Government of Upper Canada differs from the House of a.s.sembly as to the general prevalence of objections to the University founded upon the degree of exclusive connection which it has with the Church of England.

It seems reasonable to conclude, however, that on such a subject as this an address adopted by a full House of a.s.sembly, with scarcely any dissentient voices,[27] must be considered to express the prevailing opinion in the Province upon this subject.

[26] See copy of Sir George Murray's letter in D. H. E., Vol. I., pp.

257 and 258.

[27] The vote stood 21 for and 9 against.

"In the event, therefore, of its appearing to you to be proper to invite the Legislative Council and House of a.s.sembly to resume the consideration of this question, you will apprise them that their representations on the existing charter of the University have attracted the serious attention of His Majesty's Government and that the opinion which may be expressed by the Legislative Council and House of a.s.sembly on that subject will not fail to receive the most prompt and serious attention."

Shortly after the receipt of this communication Sir John Colborne, as Chancellor of King's College, convened the College Council and declared that no immediate steps were to be taken toward active University work, and that not one stone should be put upon another until certain alterations had been made in the charter.

In 1829 the Chairman of the General Board of Education, Rev. Dr.

Strachan, presented to the Legislative a.s.sembly his first annual report.

It is an able and very suggestive doc.u.ment. It showed 372 pupils[28] in the eleven Grammar Schools, and 401 Common Schools with 10,712 pupils.

Dr. Strachan had personally visited each Grammar School during 1828, and had incidentally learned something of the Common Schools. Referring to Grammar Schools he says:[29] "It will be seen that in some places girls are admitted.[30] This happens from the want of good female schools, and perhaps from the more rapid progress which children are supposed to make under experienced and able schoolmasters. It is to be wished, however, that separate schools for the s.e.xes were established, as the admission of female children interferes with the government which is required in cla.s.sical seminaries; it is, nevertheless, an inconvenience of a temporary nature, which will gradually pa.s.s away as the population increases in wealth and numbers." This "inconvenience of a temporary nature" persisted until 1868, when girls were formally admitted as pupils in Grammar Schools.

[28] In 1827 there were 329 pupils, of whom 8 in the Cornwall School were girls.

[29] See copy of Report in D. H. E., Vol. I., pp. 266 and 267.

[30] The Report for 1828 showed 25 girls in the eleven District Schools.

Dr. Strachan pointed out very clearly in this Report that the Common Schools could never improve very much until the teachers were better paid. He also made an excellent practical suggestion.[31] "The Provincial Board, therefore, would submit with all deference, that in addition to the public allowance, even if increased beyond its present amount, a power should be given to the Towns.h.i.+ps to a.s.sess themselves for this special purpose."

[31] See original Report in Appendix to Journals of a.s.sembly, U. C., pp.

16 and 17 of Appendix on Education.

Here we have laid down the correct principle of support for public schools, and one cannot but feel that had Dr. Strachan followed up this suggestion by pressing it upon the Legislature, and by discussing it with school-managers and the general public, he might have secured its early adoption.

When the Legislature convened in 1829, Sir John Colborne in the Speech from the Throne[32] made direct reference to education as follows: "The Public [Grammar] Schools are generally increasing, but their organization appears susceptible of improvement. Measures will be adopted, I hope, to reform the Royal Grammar School [the District School at York] and to incorporate it with the University recently endowed by His Majesty, and to introduce a system in that Seminary which will open to the youth of the Province the means of receiving a liberal and extensive course of instruction. Unceasing exertions should be made to attract able masters to this country, where the population bears no proportion to the number of offices and employments that must necessarily be held by men of education and acquirements, for the support of the laws and of your free inst.i.tutions."

[32] See Journals of a.s.sembly for U. C. for 1829, p. 5.

This message from the Governor may require some explanation. In the first place let us note that Sir John Colborne was an able and enlightened man, sincerely desirous of giving to Upper Canada a government that would be acceptable to the ma.s.s of the people. He seems to have realized clearly that the a.s.sembly was a fairly accurate reflection of public opinion, and that no policy could ultimately prevail unless it was in harmony with its wishes. His action in arresting the working of King's College was one proof of this, although his subsequent action in founding Upper Canada College solely on his own responsibility showed his belief in the power of the Crown to take independent action. He saw that the District Grammar Schools were very inefficient and were touching the lives of an insignificant proportion of the people of Upper Canada. He foresaw that for some years the revenue to be derived from the endowment of King's College would not support a very pretentious inst.i.tution, and that for such an inst.i.tution, even if it were in operation, there would be very few students prepared by previous study to profit from its courses. In his opinion the immediate wants of the country would be better served by a high-cla.s.s school than by a university. Hence his proposal to reform the Royal Grammar School at York and incorporate it with King's College.

The a.s.sembly of 1829 contained many eminent men, of whom it is sufficient to mention Marshall Bidwell (the Speaker), William Lyon Mackenzie, W. W. Baldwin (father of Hon. Robert Baldwin), and John Rolph, the latter a graduate of the University of Cambridge. The a.s.sembly appointed a select committee on Education. This committee made an extensive report[33] upon both District Grammar and Common Schools.

In regard to the former they were p.r.o.nounced in their condemnation and recommended their abolition. The report claimed that the District or Grammar School Trustees, appointed by the Crown, were chosen to promote the interests of the Anglican Church; that in many cases the schools themselves were merely stepping-stones for the clergy of the Anglican Church; that they were under no efficient inspection; that they were quite as expensive to those parents who did not live immediately beside them as much better schools in the United States; and finally that as only 108 pupils in the whole Province were studying languages in these schools, that their work could be done equally well by really good Common Schools. The report lamented the low salaries of teachers in Common Schools and suggested that no Government grants should be given unless the managers of schools themselves raised by subscription equal amounts. The report also protested against the payment out of public funds of 300 a year to Rev. Dr. Strachan, as Chairman of the General Board,[34] and against his a.s.sumption that reports of District Schools should be made to him instead of to the Lieutenant-Governor. The report expressed a hope that something might be done to encourage the publication of textbooks in Canada, and concluded with expressing approval of the Governor's plan to found a seminary of a high cla.s.s, which should be free from sectarian influences and afford advanced instruction to the youth of Canada.

[33] See Report in Appendix to Journals of a.s.sembly for 1829, p. 42.

[34] The General Board of Education had been organized by Sir Peregrine Maitland wholly on his own authority and that of the Home Government.

The a.s.sembly naturally refused to acknowledge any obligation to support it with public funds.

Later in the session of 1829 this select committee on Education prepared a series of resolutions which were adopted by the a.s.sembly. The following are the chief points in the resolutions:--[35]

1. That the Governor, or Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, not being amenable for his conduct to any tribunal, ought not to be Chancellor of King's College.

2. That it ought not to be required that the President of King's College be a clergyman of the Anglican Church, and that he ought to be elected or appointed for a stated term.

3. That the Archdeacon of York ought not by virtue of his clerical office to become President of King's College.

4. That the President and Professors of King's College ought not to be required to subscribe to the Thirty-nine Articles.

5. That the Degree of Doctor of Divinity ought to be conferred by King's College upon any professing Christian who pa.s.sed the required examinations in Cla.s.sical, Biblical, and other subjects of learning.

6. That wherever the charter of King's College is in any way sectarian it should be amended.

[35] See Appendix to Journals of a.s.sembly of U.C. for 1829, pp. 72 and 73.

The Governor asked the Legislative Council to consider in what way the charter of King's College could be amended to make it more acceptable to the people of Upper Canada. The Council in reply recommended that instead of the Archdeacon of York any Anglican clergyman should be eligible for President. They also recommended that tests for the Council be dispensed with.

Having the sanction of the Home Government, and feeling sure of the active support of the a.s.sembly, Sir John Colborne immediately put in execution his plan of forming a high-cla.s.s school to replace the Royal Grammar School at York. He caused advertis.e.m.e.nts to be inserted in the British papers for masters. The head master was to have a house, 600 per annum, and the privilege of taking boarders. The cla.s.sical and mathematical masters were to receive 300 a year and similar privileges.

The a.s.sembly had suggested that the new school should be known as Colborne College, but the name adopted was Upper Canada College. The school opened in 1830 with a staff of seven specialists, nearly all chosen in England. The work was carried on in the buildings of the old Grammar School until handsome and elaborate buildings were erected on Russell Square, north of King Street. An endowment of some 60,000 acres from the School lands was given the new inst.i.tution. It was generally felt that the new school would, for the present, supply the want of a university, and also make it unnecessary for Canadian youths to complete their education in the United States.

Before Upper Canada College had been working a year a very numerously-signed pet.i.tion was presented by some York patrons of the school praying for some modification of the exclusively cla.s.sical nature of the programme for those boys destined for commerce and mechanical pursuits. The Governor's attempt to give Canadians a high-cla.s.s collegiate school seemed only partially successful. The error was in attempting to adapt to a new country a form of school that suited the requirements of a select cla.s.s in an old and highly civilized country.

Latin and Greek must be crammed into boys whether or not they had any natural apt.i.tude for language study, and quite irrespective of their future occupations in life.

The founding and liberal equipment of Upper Canada College had one effect that might easily have been foretold. Pet.i.tions came from almost every Grammar School District praying for endowed and well-equipped schools similar to Upper Canada College. The pet.i.tioners resented the concentration at York of two important inst.i.tutions, Upper Canada College and King's College, deriving support from an endowment originally set aside to give educational facilities to the whole of Upper Canada.

The a.s.sembly of 1833, through a select committee, made a minute examination into the affairs of Upper Canada College, and pa.s.sed a resolution recommending that it be incorporated with King's College. I give here quotations from two writers on Upper Canada College, showing how differently things appear when viewed through different eyes. The first is from a letter written in 1833 by Rev. Thomas Radcliffe.[36]

"Future generations will bless the memory of Sir John Colborne, who, to the many advantages derived from the equity and wisdom of his government, has added that of a magnificent foundation [in Upper Canada College] for the purposes of literary instruction. The lowest salary of any of the professors of this inst.i.tution is 300 per annum, with the accommodation of a n.o.ble brick house and the privilege of taking boarders at 50 per annum."

[36] See copy of letter in D. H. E., Vol. II., pp. 120 and 121.

The next is from "Sketches," published by William Lyon Mackenzie, London, 1833. "Splendid incomes are given to the masters of the new [Upper Canada] College, culled at Oxford by the Vice-Chancellor, and dwellings furnished to the professors (we may say) by the sweat of the brow of the Canadian labourer. All these advantages and others not now necessary to be mentioned, are insufficient to gratify the rapacious appet.i.te of the 'Established Church' managers, who, in order to acc.u.mulate wealth and live in opulence, charge the children of His Majesty's subjects ten times as high fees as are required by the less amply endowed Seminary at Quebec. They have another reason for so doing.

The College (already a monopoly) becomes almost an exclusive school for the families of the Government officers, and the few who, through their means, have, in York, already attained a pecuniary independence out of the public treasury. The College never was intended for the people, nor did the Executive endow it thus amply that all cla.s.ses might apply to the fountain of knowledge."[37]

[37] See volume in Library of Parliament, Ottawa, pp. 190 and 191.

As time pa.s.sed the College founded by Sir John Colborne did good work as a secondary school for people of wealth, but all attempts to make it popular with the ma.s.s of the people proved ineffective. The Legislature gave it an annual grant somewhat unwillingly.[38] The buildings were erected, and part of the annual expenses paid from advances made by the King's College Council.

[38] See D. H. E., Vol. III., p. 123.

By an Act pa.s.sed in 1839[39] there was an attempt made to raise the College to the dignity of a temporary university. This action displeased the Council of King's College because it tended to delay the opening of lectures in that inst.i.tution. In 1849, when the Baldwin University Bill made an independent corporation of Upper Canada College, that inst.i.tution was indebted to the University for nearly $40,000, which was never repaid.[40]

[39] See D. H. E., Vol. III., pp. 170 and 171.

[40] For the later history of Upper Canada College see "History of Upper Canada College," by Princ.i.p.al George d.i.c.kson.