Yes, that is very interesting! Thank you for sharing. Mary
On Mon, Dec 12, 2016 at 9:39 PM linda <[email protected]> wrote: > I found the reference I had in mind. > > This information is specific to Sao Miguel island for 1863 or 1864. I > don't know how much it can be generalized either to the other islands or to > later in the century, but it does provide a little window on the state of > education in one place at one point in time. > > Source: Supico, Francisco Maria 1864 Almanach do Archipelago dos Acores: > Estatistico, Historico, Recreativo e Noticioso. Typographia da Persuasao, > Ponta Delgada, pages 52-56. > > Number of Primary Schools for Boys: > 20 public schools attended by 1234 students > 8 municipal schools attended by 428 students > 14 private schools attended by 538 students > total = 2,200 students > > Number of Primary Schools for Girls: > 5 public schools attended by 334 students > 4 municipal schools attended by 308 students > 63 private schools attended by 1,460 students > total = 2,102 students > > [I believe the difference between public and municipal schools was that > the first were funded by the Portuguese government and the second, by the > Camara Municipal.] > > Supico notes that included in the attendance numbers of the girls' private > schools, there are 84 boy students, so the actual total number of boys > attending primary school is raised to 2,284 and the total number of girls > is reduced to 2,018. > > Relative to the total population of both sexes on the island, the > proportions of school attendance were therefore established to be: > > males, 4.532 per 100 individuals [4.532% of the boys on the island of San > Miguel attended primary school in 1863 or 1864] > females, 3.600 per 100 individuals [3.6% of the girls on the island] > > Supico makes the explicit point that "Nenhum districto do continente e > ilhas apresenta um resultado tao satisfactorio sobre a instruccao do sexo > feminino." (page 52) "No district of the Continent or the Islands > demonstrates such a satisfactory result dealing with the instruction of the > feminine sex." In comparison, he notes that Lisbon came closest with > 2.236% of the girls there attending school, and if all the districts of the > continent were taken together, only 0.861% of the girls on the mainland > attended school. > > Supico further notes that after the stats were collected, new co-ed public > free schools were opened by the Municipa Camara of Ponta Delgada, but their > attendence figures weren't available to be included in his totals. The > implication being that education rates were somewhat higher than he could > statistically demonstrate. > > Secondary education: There were about 200 students enrolled in private > secondary education. There was also free secondary education for both male > and female students available at 4 legally credentialed institutions. > These "collegios" offered instruction in Portuguese, French, English, > Latin, "latinidade" [Classics??], drawing, music and dance, and they had > 130 regularly attending students. Moreover, there were also almost as many > students who received instruction from uncredentialed teachers who, > according to Supico, "weren't much inferior to those of the authorized > institutions" ["mestres sem habilitacao legal, nao sera muito inferio as > dos collegios authorisados"]. Additionally, Supico noted that some of the > teachers give lessons in the students homes, and these students were not > included in his stats. > > > I hope all this info is of interest to some of you-- I know I find it > fascinating :). I think discussing the culture and history of the islands > can provide some valuable insights into our shared heritage and > genealogies. I know in my case, I'm continually trying to understand my > family in the context of their original culture and how as immigrants they > adapted (and often didn't) to the culture of their adopted home in > California. I read the anecdotes shared here with interest because of how > they compare and contrast with the stories handed down in my own family. > And they help me to remember that my broad assumptions about "life in the > old country/old days" aren't always accurate. The education rates in the > Azores in the 19th century were woefully low compared to what we have come > to expect, but who would have guessed that in Sao Miguel in 1863 a girl had > nearly as good a chance of getting a bit of schooling as a boy? Not me! > Nor would I have ever thought that an Azorean island had a better record of > sending girls to school than anywhere on the continent! Or > that--apparently--girls' schooling was important enough to some > [wealthier?] families to support about three times as many girls' private > schools as there were boys' public schools and this was how most of the > girls were educated... just fascinating... > > Anyway, as they say, "thank a school teacher if you can read this"--and > thanks to Cheri for the work you do to keep the Azores Group ticking over. > > :D > > > Linda > > > > On Sunday, December 11, 2016 at 2:09:46 PM UTC-8, Samantha B wrote: > > Culturally how common was it for women to be literate/educated at the turn > of last century. I'm intrigued as it was the bride who signed the marriage > record and not the groom. > > TIA > Samantha > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Azores Genealogy" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/azores.
