2

Now to return to Betjeman's statement: "Time gives a texture to' things that man alone cannot add.”

This venerable structure is impregnated with the extraordinary qualities of mind and spirit possessed by the host of inestimable students and teachers who have given of their talents unstintingly to this school during the past 90 years, and so it has acquired a person- ality all its own.

When it became evident that this building was to be demolished,

I thought it proper that the highlights of its history should be

recorded for thelpresent and for posterity.

The question was where to begin my research. First I turned to

a copy of a brief essay on the history of Prince Street School which I

__ J.

I '4!) \lll‘Ill :1_VI 1.1% Ph u-vs .- - ~— u VVAAKII.

i a puiii here, and l have used it as a "launching-pad”

for a flight into many extremely interesting phases of Island history. I hope that someone in each of the other City schools soon to

be replaced is recording its history: too. All our older schools have

a past worthy not only to be preserved but also to be made known to

our people.

The opening paragraph of my school—girl effort ran as follows:

"Between the years 1860 and 1870 the people of Charlottetown

i began to realize the need of better schools for the education of both sexes. Up to this time there was no system of teacher training, no

5 Course of studies for teachers, no city school board, no regulations ; gOVerning the Schools, no course of studies (for the pupils) and no

: compulsory attendance. “There were several schools in the city, but

7 in general they were not well taught, and many children never attended

school." - ‘