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". £<"i I, *« ; FIRST 1 ;•- -. ^ni RERORT or THB MONTREAD Infant /School Society^ FOR 183O0 MONTRBAL PRINTED BY WORKMAN AND BOWMAN, Canadian Couranl Office. 1831. 5 ,'.i,iitmmmmm.:^^- f*^*m^v:m'' RBPORT. That the human mind is capable of receiving instruction, and of forming associations of ideas, at a very early period of its existence, must be evident to all who have paid attention to the first developement of the mental powers. The earliest impressions which the mind receives are vivid in their effects, and lasting in their influence over moral action. We have daily opportunities of observing the powerful agency which early vicious habits continue to have over the morals of their unfortunate victims, and few there are who cannot trace to early periods of their life, the origin of some wrong impres- sions, which have afterwards influenced their conduct, and led their minds into error. Since then, the human mind so early becomes the active recipient of impressions, it becomes an important matter to provide early means of preventing vice from introducing itself, and, whilst the mind is yet in the be- ginning of its intellectual career, to lay the foundation of those principles, upon which the superstructure of truth, rectitude and piety may be raised in all their intrinsic worth and beauty. The history of the rise and progressr of Infant School in- struction, would afford the most ample confirmation of these general principles ; were proof of such self-evident truths ne- cessary. In the last eleven years, more has been done in the British dominions to rescue the young from the snares of vice, than in any previous period of equal extent, and it has not been without its good consequences, by turning into the paths of virtue, many, who from all appearances, would have fallen into crime, and finally into disgrace and ruin. In Great Britain, within whose bounds so many philan- thropic Institutions have originated, Infant Schools were first established. The intentions of their first founders seem to have been merely the negative benefit of preventing the be- ginnings of evil, by collecting the children of the labouring classes together, and keeping them from vicious practices ancl bad coinpany, whilst their parents, who were necessarily •:'.»?' «»* (4) called away by their daily labour, could not have them under their own immediate inspection. It was however soon found, that the time during which these children were assembled to- gether, could be profitably employed, and much instruction given ; whilst at the same time, the irksomeness of the severe restraints of common-school discipline could be dispensed with, and the whole duty rendered at once profitable and de- lightful to the young mind. Fortunately the experiment has been crowned with entire success, and Infant Schools have now been established in various parts of the world, and have, in all instances, been attended with the most salutary influ- ence in the formation of human character. In the general march of benevolence, it is a matter of congratulation to your Committee, and to every member of this Society, that Mon- treal was not passed over, and that the exertions which have been made, have produced very evident advantages to those who have been brought within the sphere of their influence. In the autumn of 1827, the attention of several Ladies in this City was called to the subject of Infant Schools, and the utility of these Institutions having been established by numerous ex- periments, both in Europe and America, a meeting of a few, friendly to the undertaking, was held in the month of April, 1828, and after due consideration, it was resolved to open an Infant School in St. Dominique Street, in the house then oc- cupied in part by the School of Industry. In this undertaking its first projectors were assisted by the Rev. Thaddeus Osgood, who placed at their disposal a set of lessons sent out by the Society in England for promoting Education and Industry among the Indians and destitute Settlers in Canada, and at the same time strenuously recom- mended the School to public notice. The School continued under the superintendance of a few Ladies till August, 1829, when the most pleasing results having been realized by actual experiment, it was determined to establish an Infant School Society. Accordingly on the 5th of August, 1829, a public meeting was called, at which Horatio Gates, Esq. presided ; a Society was organized, a Committee of management cho- sen, and the necessary measures taken to insure to the Insti- tution public patronage and permanency. In the winter of 1828-9 one of the Ladies who took an active part in the management of the Infant School having found it necessary to provide for an orphan child at her individual charge, placed it as a boarder with the Instructress of the School. The change for the better, both in personal appearance and moral habits became so evident in this child, that a hope of making provisions for destitute children separate from the funds of the Infant School was entertained. A few friends of this additional undertakincr were encourasred thereto by the cir- (5) cumstances that during the first year's existence of the Infant School, they had in the discharge of their duties as Managers, met with several destitute children, that could not be provided for in the manner which their necessities and pnvations called for from the funds of the School. As these children evidently possessed most urgent claims on the atten- tion of the benevolent ; and from their destitute situation, and their being exposed to the contamination of vice, seemed to call for some exertions to rescue them from their degraded condition ; it was resolved at a meeting of a few Ladies, who assembled in April, 1829, to consider the matter, to establish in the same buildmg with the Infant School, a boarding de- partment, which should remain under the care of your Com- mittee as long as might be deemed advisable, this department to be maintained by a separate fund, in which the children of destitute parents or those children who had been deprived of one parent by death, could be received at a moderate charge. This project, if successful, would, it was hoped, enable the managers to rescue many children from vice, and to educate them in the principles ol piety and virtue, and consequently render them useful and honorable members of Society. In the first experiments, the Managers in every practicable instance, made the beneficiaries not entirely objects of eleemo- synary aid, but required payment in whole or m part from the surviving parent or friend. The results ot these tirst attempts having reaHzed the expectations of those who first had their attention called to the subject, permission was given to take up a public collection for the support of the boarding department, and if possible, to procure for it such patronage as would ensure its continuance, and it was thought it would be advisable to permit it to become an independiint estab- hshment, at the first of May last, and to be under the direc- tion of a Committee of Management, chosen for its superin- tendance. — placed on Committee will in future be given to the inagcment and support of Infant Schools. Since the commencement of the boarding establishment, twenty destitute children have been received into it. Among these children, some w ho did not • know their letters when they entered, can now read in the Testament ; and their present clean and healthy condition,, cannot fail to be delightful to every friend of mankind. The whole cost of this establishment during the year end- ing Ist day of May last is £96 19 G Amount of board paid by parents, £24 G Amount of subscriptions and donations, 3G 1 £80 7 6 The boarding esta}>lishment having been thus a separate footing, the whole r .ontion of your given Remaining to be provided for, £16 12 (G) By this Htatcmcnt it will be seen that a balance ofClG 128. remains to be collected, in order to render the boarding de- partment entirely free of the Infant School funds. It is how- ever worthy of notice, that this sum is more than the actual drawback on the funds of j-our Society, inasmuch as it would have cost more for the boarding of the Teachers, had no boarding establishment been in existence. Moreover your Committee would have been obliged to engage a second Teacher, and to defray the whole expence of her salary and boarding out of your funds ; but as it is no\v arranged, the second Teacher dividing her services between the School and boarding establishment, only one half of the expense in- curred thereby, is chargeable to the funds of the Infant School. The boarding of each destitute child has been found not to exceed twelve shillings and six pence per month. As the boarding department has now been placed on a separate looting, the former good effects of this establishment, war- rant your Committee in recommending it to public patronage. In detailing the progress of the Infant School, it is neces- sary tp-f)remise that^tho. undertaking was entirely ne^v in this v,«JHie first established in Canada, and had all the difficulties to encounter that usually attend in'cipient^enterprize. They are however, now much gratified to be epdl>led to state that not only has the increase in the attendance in' the School imme- diately under the superintendance of yoUr Committee been very encouraging ; but they have now the pleasure of stating that another Infant School has been established in the St.. Ann's Suburb in this City ; and several private classes for infants have been opened. Your Committee would here call the serious attention of their constituents and of the public generally, to the more extensive establishment of Infant Schools. The pupils who . rfttend these Institutions, cannot, on account of their tender age go a great distance to School, hence the necessity of es- tablishing Infant Schools in different parts of the city. — Though originally intended for the poorer classes, the system of instruction is equally calculated to produce correct prin- ciples in the children of all classes, and in the opinion of your Committee, highly calculated to be of great advantage to the young. Since the commencement of the School under the care of your Committee, 210 pupils have been admitted, of whom 106 have been withdrawn, Of those withdrawn, some are dead, some have been removed to the United States and to Upper Canada, some to England, and some to various parts of this Province. A few have been removed to other Schools, and some have been placed in the other Infant School lately ■ts. (7) commenced. From the parents of sucli children as were in circumstances that enabled them to pay for the instruction of their children, payment has been received. Of those chil- dren at present in the School, twenty-six pay for their instruc- tions, and seventy-eight are taught gratuitously. The whole number at present in attendance is one hundred and four. The amount received as School fees during the year, ending 1st May, 1830, was £15 14 9. Amount received for ditto, during the three months ending, 1st August, 1830, was £4 4 3^. As th»i children of the poor are often prevented from at- tending School, from an insufficiency of clothing, your Com- mittee turned their attention to the means of finding gar- ments for destitute children, and in this they are happy to acknowledge the valuable assistance they received from the Dorcas Society of this city. The following is a statement of the garments distributed : — 40 garments given by the Dorcas Society, 53 distributed by a few ladies who met for the purpose in February last. 45 sent to the Institution by the same ladies. A number of garments besides those above enumerated, has been sent by various persons and distributed, and there are yet many in want of assistance in clothing, who would attend, were they not prevented by this circumstance. The actual expense of the School for the year ending, 1st May last is £78 12 9^, and for the quarter ending, 1st Aug. 1830, £20 8 3. To meet these, there have been collected, £72 4,^, leaving the sum of £7 7 7 to be provided for by future contributions. Your Committee have great pleasure in stating that throughout the year, the Teachers have diligently discharged the arduous duties which devolved upon them. Thus have your Committee discharged the trust reposed in them, acting at all times for the promotion of Infant Schools generally, and for the School more particularly under their care. Whatever they have attempted, has been done only with a desire to ameliorate the condition of those who are early exposed to vice, or to give to the young mind a greater store of purer and more enlarged ideas, and should their efforts meet with the approbation of their constituents, and of the public, they will consider themselves amply repaid for their exertions. 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