The History of Educational Administration in Merasheen
From 1800 - 1930's
Part I
Submitted to: Dr. 6. L. Parsons
Submitted by: Tobias Pearson
Date! Ociober 29, 1984
Course: Education 3410

Introduction

Administration is an inescapable aspect of education. It is a behavior by administrators and others in school organizations which is characterized by action towards achievement of school goals but is not dependent upon others for success. Such behavior is described as administrative rather than supervisory. Administrators and others, when they work in an administrative capacity, work with things and ideas rather than people as they pursue school goals.

Educational administration deals with certain elements which direct the educational institution to the achievement of its objectives. These elements include:
1. Defining aims, goals and objectives;
2. Determining policies;
3. Developing programs appropriate to these aims, goals, objectives and policies;
4. Securing and managing the human and material resources necessary to achieve the goals and objectives;
5. Evaluation of the whole process to ensure that the goals are being met.

Aims and Goals in Merasheen Education

From the middle of the 1800's to 1930, the first schools of Newfoundland were established by religious societies as early as 1726. The denominational system of education was not established by law until 1874.

Educational administration at Merasheen in its earliest forms was informal and occurred in the course of spontaneous interaction. That is to say--the administrative aspect of education was in no way if as formal and bureaucratic as it is today. Schools in their earliest conceptions were based on innovation which was often accidental and unanticipated, perhaps the result of religious rather than practical intent. In the case of Merasheen, this statement may very well be quite valid as the religion of the entire population of the community was Roman Catholic.

The responsibility for the school at Merasheen was under the care of the Roman Catholic School Board, headed by Reverend E. Troy, the Catholic priest of the Western District of Placentia Bay. However, so little communication was there between the Board and the school at Merasheen, it was looked upon as being in a "Foreign Country."

The first school at Merasheen (that is the setting up of a school officially dated) was set up in 1844. This school-house, a house provided through Reverend E. Troy, was unsuited to the purpose. There were forty-five children attending.

There were really no set programs provided. The subjects taught were reading, the alphabet, and a few Mathematical facts such as the Tables of Multiplication.

Resources were very few. The school teacher was Mr. Walsh of Presque, a nearby community. There were some paper and slates for the children to use (though no great number). Books were almost nil.
The only books in use were six or seven Fenning's Spelling Books which were lent around the room.

The following year, 1845, Mr. Brine was appointed school master. School was held in a room at the back of Mr. Hennessey's mercantile store. At that time, there were fifty-five children in attendance at that school. The following spring a new school was erected in Merasheen, under the superintendence of the Reverend E. Troy.

In 1870, the school-house at Merasheen was taken down due to its being allowed to fall into a state of dilapidation. The school was then held in the vestry: twenty-four children were in attendance. This was mainly due to the size of the room.

Sometime around the early 1870s, a one-room school was erected by the people of the community. This was in use until 1909. Very little is known about any other school until the late 1920s. Sometime during this period, a more appropriate building was erected. This was made possible by the government providing a small portion of the grant for education from the public funds, a provision laid down by the Education Act of 1927.

Summary

In this paper, I have discussed and described aspects concerning the administration of education at Merasheen from the mid 1800s to the early 19005. The philosophy of the administration (or more precisely, the people who did the actual teaching) embodied the traditional concept of Christian Education which rested on the firm foundation of the home, the church and the school.
School buildings and resources (such as text books and paper) were almost nil. A planned curriculum under those conditions was well nigh impossible. The school's chief aims were to teach the children the rudiments of health, to make the most of their environment by adding new skills to those of their parents and to understand a little more of the world outside Merasheen.