Public education in Newfoundland since the early 19th century, has been shaped by two factors: religion and the economy.
The economy was based on a single industry, the fishery; the Protestant and Catholic churches, from 1843 onwards, dominated the educational system.
The Newfoundland School Society was established in June 1823. Some of the rules and regulations created by the N.S.S. were that the Schools must be managed by Masters and Mistresses of the United Church of England and Ireland and conducted on Dr. Bell’s system. They believed that through their schools “we shall discharge the claims of kindred and of philanthropy, and most effectually teach them to understand and rightly appreciate their connection with, and interest in the moral, as well as national greatness of their Mother Country”. The N.S.S. wanted to make the poor intelligent, grow into happy and useful people, intend that all the children of the schools should receive instruction in the Holy scriptures, one or more days/week instructed in the church catechism, and the attendance of the children be at the parents discretion.
The first N.S.S. school opened in St John’s in September 1824 with an enrolment of 75. Just two years later a larger building was needed to accommodate the 450 students; there was a staff of three teachers and a female monitor. The children were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, sewing, knitting and net-making. By 1829 there were 8 principal schools, located in the larger settlements, ran by society teachers, recruited and trained in England; and there were 15 branch schools in smaller communities. A year later in 1830, the Society operated 28 day schools with 1513 children around the Island, along with 18 Sunday schools and 10 adult evening schools for religious instruction. By 1836, its 46 schools were located as far north as Twillingate, along the south coast, and up the west shore to St. George’s Bay.
Schools in Newfoundland, especially in outport settlements, faced many problems and obstacles. The success of the schools was influenced by the conditions within the settlement, and these conditions often affected student attendance, payments, learning, and so forth. For example, conditions which affected the population were such things as illnesses (or epidemics) such as the flu, fever, whooping cough, smallpox, measles, etc. The weather also posed problems, severe snowstorms in the winter months often closed schools for days; and if the weather was too cold, children could not make it to school or could not keep the school in fuel for heat. The fishery affected the school and its attendance greatly. During the fishing season, children were often needed to help out in the fishery and could not attend school. Also, in smaller settlements, the teacher was allowed to attend the fishery in order to supplement their low teaching salaries; therefore, closing the school during that season. A failure in the fishery also had severe consequences as parents could not pay subscriptions to the school. Poverty also led to a lack of clothes and shoes which meant children could not be sent to school. The N.S.S., unlike other schools, tried their best to counter these obstacles. For example, the N.S.S. would send shipments of clothes and shoes from England to Newfoundland to give to poverty-stricken families so their children could continue to attend school.
N.S.S. schools were very successful and encountered very high enrolment numbers. They were able to educate so many children because they adopted the Dr. Bell System of teaching. This system originated in Madras, India in 1787, and it allowed older pupils to teach the younger children the lessons they had already mastered; this was very efficient as more children could be taught by one teacher. The Dr. Bell System provided tangible evidence that children were benefiting from this education as they were able to teach other children the lessons they had learned. Therefore, parents were much more interested in supporting and sending their children to these schools because of the quality of the education. The high student enrolment proved that the N.S.S. enjoyed much success in its short existence on the island.
Spaniard’s Bay school became an independent branch institution in 1829 with the erection of its first institution with an accompanying family dwelling for the teacher. Prior to this time, students would travel from Spaniard’s Bay to Harbour Grace for instruction.
For a small outport community in the early 19th Century building a church or a school would be quite the undertaking. Newfoundland has a limited opening for construction, when weather permits construction most of the men would be engaged in the inshore fishery, this left women and children to bear most of the assistance in ensuring it could be done. “…women and children gather rocks and materials for building the chimney, while others served masons with bricks and mortar.”
The first teacher in Spaniard’s Bay was Joseph Griffin who in 1831 gave a very pleasing account of the eagerness and of course, willingness of the children of the community to benefit and improve themselves through obtaining an education.
The children of the community are quite eager to learn. This is exemplified by them walking at least half a mile for instruction through heavy falls of snow, some of the children do this without the benefit of shoes or stockings. They will even attend the Evening school as well as the day school to learn.
Griffin writes “…it would please our friends to see our schoolroom filled on the Sabbath they flock in like bees into a hive before a storm…” By 1832 the day school had 50 children, the evening school 36 and the Sunday School 98.
Throughout the next few years the attendance at the school had been good, particularly with the Sunday School. Most importantly the quality of the students their ability to learn has been improving.
By 1833 there was some disappointment with the daily school not being of the same number as the Sunday School, quite simply because the children do not possess shoes and stockings and the weather has been rather severe.
At this point in the community on Sundays the schoolroom is more often than not filled to capacity due to the attendance of the children and their parents. Mr. Griffin has on many times been forced to ask the parents to return later. Their simply reply is that “…that they want to hear the Word of God…” They have had no teacher but him and they are unable to read themselves. They hope to be allowed to remain and listen to what he will be teaching the children.
The construction of the schoolroom has created some interesting side effects. There is a growing desire to have continuing instruction, not just for the children but adults as well. Griffin believes that a decided improvement has occurred in the bay. He has also found that there is a much greater observation of the Lord’s Day. He notes in his school reports that he is the sole provider of religious instruction.
Mr. Willoughby, one of the school’s superintendents spent part of a Sunday in Spaniard’s Bay with Mr. Griffin and became quite satisfied with the order of his school and his manner of conduction services with the adults. Since there is no separate church edifice, no missionary to this area, it is recommended that Mr. Griffin continue to do what he has been doing; reading the church liturgy and printed sermons. Compared to the larger, more populous areas the attendance is small, but the teacher is of a missionary character which makes the post in Spaniard’s Bay as important as any other occupied by the society.
Even the poorest members of Spaniard’s Bay contribute to the School Society some give half or even a full quintal of fish(half quintal is 56lbs, full quintal is 112lbs). Most importantly, they keep the schoolroom supplied with firewood.
February 24th, 1833 the schoolroom was nearly destroyed by fire. Mr. Griffin had been awoken by the smell of smoke and discovered that the schoolroom stove had ignited the floor and could not put it out due to lack of water. He gave an alarm, received assistance and the fire was extinguished by use of snow being shovelled on it. The floorboards and joists were burned black but nothing that could not be repaired.
The teacher’s salary at this point was £40, 14 shillings which is about $8200 CAD in 2018.
The school children receive fairly regular donations of shoes and clothing from England, in particular Islington, which enable them to attend more regularly, which creates an interest by the parents and adult relatives to attend which results in a noticeably increasing attention to religion and a change of conduct in many individuals.
The school through various donations now has a lending library, books and tracts are regularly dispensed especially to those going on a sealing voyage. The thriving state of the school is such that it now possesses a select number of former scholars and teachers who now provide assistance to Mr. Griffin.
By the late 1830’s the schoolroom has been serving a dual purpose, teaching and a church building, conditions are now such that the people of Spaniard’s Bay are planning to commence with the construction of a church. By the community’s recollection in the last ten years they may have seen a minister twenty times. Bishop Spencer has visited a few times and found the school and schoolmaster very satisfactory. The Spencer was much pleased with the students writing and ciphering(mathematics) and with the girls needlework. His donation of a sovereign($175CAD in 2018) was used to purchase bibles.
The early 1840’s saw an influenza epidemic strike the community, Mrs. Griffin was confined to her bed for a period time, the numbers of children attending school dropped, school was closed for a season.
On June 5th, 1842 Bishop Aubrey Spencer consecrated the Church of the Holy Trinity, the successor to the school room that the community used for so many years. On the same day the teacher, Joseph Griffin was ordained and installed as the first rector of the mission. He did not abandon his teaching duties. In 1846 he left Spaniard’s Bay and by 1851 arrived in Lakefield Quebec. Rev Griffin was the driving force behind the erection of there and in neighbouring Shrewsbury. His ambition and dedication to education led to the first school in Lakefield and four more in Gore Quebec, all by 1858. Rev Griffin died in St. Andrew’s Quebec and is buried in Lakefield Cemetery.
Forgotten History of Spaniard's Bay 