The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 12, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER291 1980> WHITBY FREE1 fouri' Hstorical Heritage By EUGENEHFENRY Sometimes, in the course of human hisWory, conditions wait upon the man who is best able tW deal wlth them. Sucli was the case Wn Up- per Canada when the pioneer perlod was at an end and it became clear to many of those concerned wlth true reform in this country, that the area where change was need moat, was in the field of education. Fortunate, indeed, were the children living ln the Whitby area then when the Governor-General appoin- ted Egerton Ryerson as Chief Superintendant of Education for Upper Ca-nada i 1846. Because he soon became the architecet of the Ontario educational system as we know it today. PRESS Egerton Ryersonfounded Ontario9s sehool system-on "free education" May 1 digress to say, that the Whitby Free Press la rperforming a notable public servce ofgreat value, tothe community, in the way it is generating a concern and appreciation for, the rislng costs of a quallty education, at the present Urne. Perbaps these few words about the man who built the system under review and discussion will contribute sometbing Wo the Free Press dialogue wlth the candidates for office in the election, that is now underway. Prior to the tâme, tbat Egerton Ryerson came upon -q ~ . - whlch lie wilI be long remnembered and respected by the people of Ontario. Egerton travelled abroad and saw ct firat liand the educational systems of other countries at work. It bad a profound and lasting in- fluence upon bis envolvlng pbilosophy of education. He wrote a summary report of bis findings in "A System of the public scene ln 1844, education was for the elite of the communlty ln Upper Canada, or for those wealthy enougt tW pay the fees for learnndin those early days. Back in those times there were no schools or approved standards for teachers, who were of ten an uneducated lot tbemselves. There were no specifles as Wo tet books or the subjects for teaching. Unfortunately, there was no great public demand for educational servjces either, because the young, both boys and girls, were looked upon as farm hands and necessary to the home. Finaily, just as it is today, there was the'ever lasting agrument as Wo the nature of education itself and its role in the 111e of man. It was against this back drop of conditions that Eger- ton Ryerson - minister, editor, publisher and prinicipal of Victoria Coilege (now part of the University of Toronto) took his first faltering steps in bis long journey towards a tax paid education for ahl in On- tario today. Ryerson had many probiems along the road to bis objective but politics was not one of them. He was ap- pointed by the Governor- General and was fortunateiy responsible only to him. At 41lyears of age, he was in the prime of 111e and at the height of bis powers. His talents, experience and per- sonality combined to equip him admirably for the job to be done. It was ail just prewde Wo the great work in visible for the flrst Urne and provisions for it was exn- bodied in the Sçhooi Acta of 1846, 1850 and 1871. He was more than a theorist in the f ield of education. He was a 1Mt century public relations practioner. He took bis message "1education for ail" directly to the peopie by speaklng engagements and information pamphlets and bookiets. The bet of these was a smail magazine called the journal of education. In retrospect it looks as If Ryerson's journey throughout bis constructive years was assisted greatly by Lord Elgin who was GovernorGUeneral from 1846 to 1854. He was young, inteilectual and flot at ail reluctant to encourage, even support a man like Egerton Ryerson in the pursuit of his goals for Ontario education. Egerton was after ail ralsing the cultural level of Central Canada in ail of bis work. Ryerson retired after 32 years of service in tbe education office. It was 1876 and he was 73 at the time. In retirement b" wrote a history of the united Empire Loyalists, travelled to Europe and read voraciously in the reading room of the British Museum. In a sense, Ryerson dldn't retire he just changed bis work. In February 1882 Egerton Ryerson <ied with an international reputatiori in the field of education. The system he created for On- tario is ail around us today. ELECT Robin Lyon Your centre Ward Councillor 1 ask for your support on Election day, knowlng my Rosponslblllty Is to you the people of the Centre Ward and that * Determ Ineld-to work hard for o -to listen ta what you have to say *Concerned-That grawth may 'have toa hlgh -a price for aur tax dollars -The need of lmprovedi sewers -The need of lmproved roads and their safety -The need for our Town ta support Its communlty organizatia*ns. Your support la valuod, your prayors approclated OMM,722 1980 Whitby: 308 Dundas St.W. 668-9324 Tor. LUne 683-7189 ad to your local V. &G. ve your f ree Farmers' branch Almanac. Uerntbe< Ca-aca Oepo$.fInsuance ÇorPQrafofn Malibu Wagon Pri ced at QnIly Station Lic. PZY842 $7,307nOO Your Che v. Olda. Cadiliac Dealer 140 Bond St. W., Oshawa 725-6501 EGE RTON RYERSON Trhis Week OlY DEMO SPECIAL Bring this and receiý M9 1 Public Instruction for Upper Canada." It contained proposais for a wider course of studies than the "threÇ RS"y bistory, geography, nature study and music - balanced curriculum in the arts and science. He also cailed for the formation of libraries and the establishment of normal schools for teachers. The stucture of an emerging educational system. was