150 Years of Education In Guyana (1808 - 1957) with special reference to Post-Primary Education by Norman E. Cameron Foreword Contents Introduction Chapter 1 – Before 1844 Chapter 2 – 1814 - 1876 Chapter 3 – 1877 - 1903 Chapter 4 – 1903 - 1925 Chapter 5 – 1925 - 1940 Chapter 6 – 1940 - 1953 Chapter 7 – After 1953 Appendix 1 – Books and Articles on Education in Guyana Appendix 2 – A Chronology of Educational Development to 1957 Appendix 3 – Winners of Open Scholarships to U.C.W.I. from B.G. Appendix 4 – Winners of B.G. Government Exhibitions Appendix 5 – Winners of Other Awards at U.C.W.I. from B.G. Appendix 6 – Winners of Davson Centenary Medals Appendix 7 – Guyanese Training in the UK and T’dad under Booker Sugar Estates Sponshorship 1 Foreword The Government of British Guiana has lately initiated a programme with many provisions comparable to those of the 1944 Act which brought to an end a century of controversy concerning denominational control of British education at every level. An account of the origins and growth of Guianese education is therefore timely. It would be all too easy to tell the story from its beginnings in the years between Abolition of the Trade and Emancipation of its victims as an exercise in latter day hagiology or as an inexpensively cynical commentary on human endeavour sustained by metaphysical preoccupations with little appeal to a highly educated mid-twentieth century public. This monograph does neither one thing nor the other. Not intentionally ironical in the more offensive sense of the term, its commentary between citations from sources conveys the mental attitudes of the dramatis personae by retaining their idiom with malice to no one. In short, Professor Cameron declines to indulge in the pastime of lampooning the British patrons of emancipation and subsequent missionary effort as persons who condoned, and even benefited financially, from child labour in the Dark Satanic Mills of early nineteenth century Britain. This is as it should be. That the devotion of the emissaries had a salutary outcome suffices to justify as enlightened the hypocrisy of some of their sponsors. Fanatics can be irremediably evil and are always tedious. Hypocrites can be entertaining and often foster ideologies which eventually discredit their baser intentions. We, who now recognise the need to make education at all formal levels a secular institution, should not therefore fail to recognise graciously our debt to those who have (as the Scots say) outstayed their welcome. The New Guianese educational prospect sponsored by C.V. Nunes is in line with the traditions of the American Revolution and the practice of the Soviet Union. On the eve of Independence, * Guyana can embark on a new course with confidence and without ingratitude to those who were pioneers before a government of their own choice was ready to take its rightful responsibility for the education of its citizens. July, 1964 Lancelot Hogben. P.S. It is fitting that this volume should appear on the eve of the Author's retirement as the first Professor of Mathematics in the University of Guyana. I join with his students and others in wishing him many happy years in which to cultivate his many intellectual interests. (Signed) Lancelot Hogben. February, 1908. * Now amended to read "Having gained Independence." A History of Education in Guyana with special reference to Post-Primary Education by NORMAN E. CAMERON Top 2 Contents Introduction CHAPTER I BEFORE 1844 State of people; private schools, e.g. Hermanus Post's school; Saffon, first mention; educating for life, primary and post-primary intertwined; monitorial system and teachers. London Missionary Society; Wray in 1808 and his concept; Hermanus Post's school; Girls' schools by Mrs. Wray; Extent of the work: "Thomas Lewis a Negro" British School in Berbice. Other denominations. Saffon Institution -its beginning, will, implementation, comment. The Lady Mico Trust, 1834-1841: Normal school: origin. Private schools --more primary than otherwise, numbers, position in 1844. CHAPTER II 1814 -1876 Picture of Secondary education about 1844 (secondary schools); St. Rose's; Educational Trust. Berbice School of Industry;Queen's College Grammar School -Aims; Incorporation;Staffing, Veecock, attendance, building, American Civil War. London University Degrees and Gilchrist Scholarship. Mc Farlane Corry, Commissioners' Report; R. C. GrammarSchool; Congregational Girls' School, Annual Examination. Kay Shuttleworth -Educational Thought, aims and foundations; Day Schools of Industry, Farm Schools, Normal Schools, Text Books and model cottages, Results, Reflections. Bishop's College -Quotations from Canon Farrar. Theological School, Normal School, age, residence and character of students; 1874 Commission, Decline, 1876. Curriculum Comment. Teacher Training to 1928. The year 1882. Training at Queen's, Rawle and Mico. 1928 Government Teachers Training Centre L. M. S. and the training of Ministers -1844 George Mc Farlane, New Amsterdam and Rev. John Dalgliesh, systematic classes, Rev. Wilson 1898-19l7, Value of this work. Examples of Rev. Simon and Rev. Mittelholzer. Walter Mitchell. CHAPTER III 1877 - 1903 Queen's College and Bishop's College now Government; Brunswick House School; St Stanislaus reopens; Mrs. Vyfhuis 3 and Saffon School; St. Rose's; Picture of education, boys, girls, complexion; European teachers; Queen's in change over - policy, no free places Commercial, Exley Percival. Set back in 1882, Political agitation. Educational activity from 1890's - Methodist High Schools. Middle School, Mrs Vyfhuis and Minto House, Elementary Schools and secondary education, L. M. S. and training of ministers by Rev. Wilson. Further incentives -Primary Schools and Mitchell Scholarship. Sweetenham Circular Story of Brunswick House School De Saffon School Percival Educationist Their effect on numbers at Queen's, Enquiry, Potbury's Reports, Guiana Scholarships, Science, Agricultural Science. Science lectures, Primary scholarship suspension, defence of scholars and question of cramming, L. M. S. and ministers. CHAPTER IV 1903-1925 Progressive spirit. Education Code of 1904. Improvements at Queen's. Training of Teachers 1905 -1928 Sweetenham Circular. Government prizes and recognition. New Secondary Schools Secondary Classes in elementary schools. 1917 Committee - whether Prep. form for Queen's Defence of Private Secondary Schools -St Joseph's, Collegiate, Guianese Academy, A. A. Thorne. 1917 Commission -Education to suit local needs, Report on Secondary Education -Queen's, Elementary schools; Private Schools, Lack of implementation. Removal of Woodside House School to old Queen's College Building at Convent Schools. Buxton Scholarship 1921 Technical or Industrial Education. Agricultural Education. CHAPTER V 1925 -1940 Major Bain Gray, Commission of Enquiry and recommendations, Berbice High Schools, -Technical and Domestic Science. An attempt at Unification. Regulations for aided Secondary Schools. Expansion in older Secondary Schools. Private Schools, Alleyne High for example. 1931 a year of inspiration -Centenary Scholarships. Inter-Collegiate Games. Further attempt at Agricultural schools. CHAPTER VI 1940 -1953 4 New Deal and providing for Higher Education in the Caribbean. Hammond Report. The Government recognised secondary schools -Bishops' High, Queen's, Berbice High, St Stanislaus and the Convents in relation to numbers, accommodation, staffing, finance and science. Private secondary schools - increase in numbers, competition for pupils, cramming for certificates. Proposed Government control without aid, Private Schools Union. Secondary Schoolmasters Advisory Committee, abolition of Lower Certificate Exam and Cambridge Junior. Proposed Govt. aid 1953 - Central High as an outstanding example. Technical. Domestic and Agricultural Education. Indian Educational Institutions. Higher Education -Review in 1944; University Higher Education Committee, V.C.W.I. 1948. CHAPTER VII AFTER 1953 Organisation - Expansion, Development, Self-Help and Trends Centralisation-Improvement of educational practice. The material position of the teacher, fixing the mind. Trends in Technical Education, etc. Assessing and criteria. APPENDIX I Books and Articles on Education in Guyana APPENDIX II A Chronology of Educational Development to 1957. APPENDIX III Winners of Open Scholarships to U.C.W'I. from B.G to 1957 APPENDIX IV Winners of B.G. Government Exhibitions to 1957 APPENDIX V Winners of Other Awards at U.C.W.I. from B.G. to 1957 APPENDIX VI Winners of Davson Centenary Medals to 1957 APPENDIX VII Guyanese Training in the U.K. and Trinidad to 1957 under Booker Sugar Estates Sponsorship. Top 5 INTRODUCTION The reader would no doubt agree that stock-taking is always valuable especially when the time is opportune. The year 1953, when the country was entering a new phase, seemed appropriate for publishing some History of Education in British Guiana. It seemed good to have before us a picture of the bequest of . past achievements so that we might have better appreciation of the contemporary and preserve a sense of proportion in assessing future programmes. As a start contributions were readily obtained from Heads of Schools represented in the Association of Masters and Mistresses in Government-recognised Secondary Schools. * The task of compilation from this beginnning was slow especially with energy not at a premium. An extra spurt was made as the Author considered 1957 another opportune time as the result of the appearance of the Government's White Paper