The sun., 1913-11-30
OF EDUCATION WORK
ON MANHATTAN ISLAND
Year 1905 Red Letter One in City's History.

archives Of the New York Historical So.
ciety.
on the 18th Of May. 1905. In the Old
Mission House in Bancker (now Madison)
street, near Pearl street. the fret free
school was opened. There were fofty.two
pupils and william Smith was the teacher
The Lancasterian system Of having the
school divided Into groups Of ten or fifteen
pupils and having monitor to take
charge Of each group "a system advocated
several hundred years earlier BY the
Jcsuits) was adopted. A Manual OF the
Lancasterian System" issued in 1920 by
the Free School Society gives much in
tcresting Information about the conduct
OF this. the first public free school In
this city.
Col. Henry Rutgers. the second presi-
dent Of the society. realized that other
schools were needed II ignorance was to
be conquered. so he presented to the
society two lots valued at 92.500. which
were to be used a. the site for another
schooihouse.
The Public School Society next tried
the experiment Of opening low priced pay
schools for the beneft Of those parents
who were too independent to send their
children to the free schools and who
could not afford to send them to the pay
schools. The society hoped that this plan
would cause the children Of the rich to
commingle with the poor that II would
develop a sense Of pride among the poor
and that II would cause all CLASSES to
mingle as in miniature community In
the ranks OF public school children.
In 1928 Infant schools for the In
struction Of children from three to seven
years OF age were established. A
"junior department had previously been
organized In the basement of School No
Gin Grand street in charge of a woman
principal at the munhcent salary Of 5000
Then the Infant schools and the Junior
departments" came to he designated as
primary departments. term which 10
stll employed to denote the classes in
the first four years OF the elementary
schools.
In 1928 the trustees Of the society EN-.
ployed Samuel W. Seton as visitor" to
perform the duties now assigned to the
truant officer.
were permitted to open pay evening
schools provided that they furnished their
own oil and fuel and made good all
damage done to the furniture. In 1928.
from october until March OF the following
year. the first free evening schools were
opened. Four schools OF that type during
this first season employed l.2&3 regular
teachers. Another important happening
OF this same year was the establ shment
Of a special school on Saturday for the
instruction OF the female monitors em-
ployed In the schools. These We're the
first public normal schools in New York
city. In the following year normal
school for the instruction OF the hoy moni-
tors was opened five evenings each week.
one little known but interesting Incl
dent in connection with the history Of
the Public School Society il that Joseph
Lancaster. the father OF the monitorial
system no closely identified with the sue
cess of this system OF education. while
visiting Public School : at Chrystie street.
was run over by horse and carriage
and so seriously injured that he died
two days later. The memorial of the
society in regard to his death reads
He travelled extensively in both hemi-
spheres for the purpose of introducing
and promoting his admirable system Of
education. a system which is rapidly
ameliorating the condition OF man and
extending the blessings Of education to
millions who might otherwise have lived
and died in the darkness of ignorance.
April II. is&2 the Board Of Education
was established and took over the work
formerly conducted by the Public School
Society.