In 1852 the Free Education Act was placed on the Statute Book of P.E.I. Before that, people of different districts established and maintained schools by voluntary contributions aided by small grants from the Govern- ment to licenced teachers, therefore the oldest and most prosperous settlements benefitted while thousands of children could neither read nor write. In 1852 there were 100 schools per 68.000 population. In 1871 there were 330 places of learning on P.E.I.

The Lower Freetown teacher taught Grades 1 to X inclusive until 1963. The districts around had combined to form a Regional High School Unit and Athena Regional High School was built in Summerside in 1963. The Pupils in Grades 1X, X, X1, X1] are taken to and brought home from Athena each day by bus. Before this school was built pupils wishing to take Grades X1 or X11 usually went to Summerside or Kensington High Schools or Prince of Wales College, Charlottetown. The tax-payers in the Regional Unit with help from the Government built this school and support it.

In 1969-70 school year Grades V1] and V111 pupils of Lower Freetown School. by special arrangement between the schools and the Department of Education were taught in North Bedcque School.

In 1970-71 the Lower Freetown Grades V11 and V111 pupils are being taken by Athena bus to a new temporary school built next to Athena Regional High School. Since all the Grades V11 and V111 pupils in the Regional Unit do not attend this school each school district sending

students, with some Government help pays for its own pupils. The Vocational School is built near Athena Regional, so students who wish to take Vocational training may go on the Athena bus.

Some teachers who have taught in Lower Freetown School are:

Mr. Donald R. Stewart; Mr. Ephraim Muttart; Miss Maria Crawford, Middleton (Mrs. John Cairns, Lower Freetown) Miss Sarah Jane Cameron, Searletown (Mrs. Jesse Burns, Lower Freetown) Mr. Duncan Cameron, Albany (married Margaret Jane Cairns. Lower Freetown); Miss Jane Brehaut. Summerside; Miss Barbara Cole, Lower Bedeque (Mrs. Ben Bowness,

Mont rose): Miss Ellen Cairns, Lower Freetown (Mrs. Elijah Moase. New Arman); Mr. Frank Lawson, Charlottetown; Miss Christine MacMillan. Charlottetown; Mr. William Mackenzie, Wood Islands, Miss Isabella (Belle) .1. Cameron (Mrs. J. Roy Burns, Lower Freetown); Mr. Milton Mollison, Summerside; Mr. Fred Auld, Covehcad (Missionary to China); Miss Jessie Humphrey. Wilmot Valley (Mrs. Frank Curtis, Middleton) ', Miss Nellie MacCallum, Lower Bedeque (Mrs. Marsh); Miss Helen Whidden, North Bedeque; Miss Lois Price, Chelton (Mrs. Lowther); Miss Mary A. Robertson. North River; Miss Ella Costain; Cape Wolfe (Mrs Robert Schurman; Halifax. NS); Miss lrene Lecky, North Bedeque (Mrs. James A. Hill, Summerside); Miss Jessie Clark. North Bedeque (Mrs. Preston Bowness, North Bedeque); Miss Bertie Deacon, Freetown (Mrs. George Jardine. Freetown); Miss lda Cairns, Lower Freetown (Mrs. Eber Sanborn, Grindrod, B.C.); Miss Annie Mathieson, Read’s Corner; Miss Winnie Villet, Westmoreland; Miss Marion