“the vocation of a teacher is an awful one. you cannot do her real good; she will do others unspeakable harm if she is not aware of its awfulness. merely to supply her with necessaries, merely to assist her in procuring them for herself—though that is far better, because in so doing you awaken energy of character, reflection, providence—is not fitting her for her work; you may confirm her in the notion that the training an immortal spirit may be just as lawfully undertaken in a case of emergency as that of selling ribbons? how can you give a woman self-respect, how can you win for her the respect of others, in whom such a notion, or any modification of it dwells? your business is, by all means, to dispossess 201her of it; to make her feel the greatness of her work, and yet show her that it can be honestly performed.”—f. d. maurice, lecture on opening queen’s college.
it is always of interest to compare dreams with deeds, the ideal with the actual. and this we are enabled to do with regard to miss buss’ educational ideals, since we have first her own words at different stages in her work, before any change was made, as well as during the time of transition; and afterwards, from a keen observer, we have a summary of results, and see how the dream had become fact, how the aim was attained.
there is very little of miss buss’ writing to be found in print. but we have one letter written, in 1868, to a lady in otago, and published in a colonial paper, which gives us her ideas and her aims for future work just before the great change.
“north london collegiate school for ladies,
“12, camden street,
“nov. 13, 1868.
“dear madam,
“i have read with much pleasure your interesting account of the progress of education in your colony. you will soon leave the old country behind if you go so rapidly. there is much to be done before it can be said that england has a great national system of education....
“lord lyttelton has taken a deep interest in education, and has especially devoted himself to the consideration of the question in relation to girls. if you have not seen it, i recommend to your notice the report of the schools inquiry commission presented to the imperial parliament at the beginning of this year. it forms the first of a series of twenty-one blue books, all of which are interesting for all who care for middle-class education. the chapter on the education of girls was, i believe, written by lord lyttelton.
“the school of which i am head-mistress was opened eighteen years ago, under the immediate patronage of the local clergy. the girls’ school followed almost immediately the opening of a boys’ 202school, which has numbered about four hundred for some years past. both schools have from the first been entirely self-supporting. the girls have, however, outgrown their accommodation in two good-sized houses, but will, i trust, in time be located in a suitable building. the schools have always been conducted on what is here called the ‘conscience clause’; that is, the parents have the right of omitting the church of england catechism or any part of the religious teaching they object to. even jewesses[9] have received their whole education in the school.
“the routine of english has been considerably improved by the extension to girls’ schools of the cambridge local examinations. it is impossible, i think, to overrate the good already done in girls’ schools by these examinations. a definite standard is given, there is no undue publicity, but schools are able to measure their teaching by the opinions of unknown and, therefore, impartial examiners.
“i cannot, of course, judge of the wants of a new colony, but my experience goes to show that it is better to include in the routine of study all the necessary branches, and i think a second language is one. it is almost impossible to teach english well unless another language is studied with it, and that other language should be latin, or french, or german. of course i do not say that this should be taught in the elementary stages, but i should not allow parents to have the power of stopping the teaching on the ground of extra expense.
“we teach french, really, i think, allowing no option. latin also in the higher classes, with little or no option, except in the case of delicate girls.
“after my many years of work, if i were now to found a school for what might be called the middle section (and, indeed, the upper section also) of the middle-class, i should include all that i have mentioned, viz. english thoroughly, with elementary science in courses such as i have alluded to, french, latin, bold outline 203drawing, careful part singing, plain needlework, and thorough arithmetic, with geometry and algebra in the higher classes. i would rigidly and entirely omit all arrangements for teaching instrumental music, which i believe to be the bane of girls’ schools, in the time wasted and the expense entailed. i have omitted, i see, harmony, by which i mean the laws of musical construction, an interesting, and, in an educational point of view, a most useful subject for mental training. instrumental music—the piano chiefly—might fairly be left to a private teacher, as might dancing also. in germany, i think, instrumental music is never taught in the tochter schule, but is always left to private teaching.
“no school ought to omit physical training—that is, calisthenics, or something equivalent. this we have of late enforced among the elder girls. our system, an american idea, called musical gymnastics, is excellent. easy, graceful, and not too fatiguing, gently calling every part of the body into play by bright spirited music, which cultivates rhythm of movement, it has become popular, and has wonderfully improved the figure and carriage of the girls. our exercises last from twenty minutes to half an hour almost daily—as much as we can manage, always four days out of five.”
9. a letter from an old jewish pupil, in the jewish chronicle, is full of deepest regret for her loss, giving many instances of special kindnesses received by the writer. “she was so strictly just that she gave every consideration to the first jewish pupil who wished to participate in the honours not then open to jews, acknowledging to that same pupil in after years that she gave the consideration in justice only, for, if anything, she was slightly prejudiced against a race she had only read about and not known.”
miss buss then goes on to explain fully her ideal of what the education of girls should be, giving her preference for “large day schools, with all the life and discipline that numbers only can give; not to speak of the greater efficiency and cheapness of the teaching.” she thinks that “our young women are narrowed sadly by want of the sympathy, large experience, and right self-estimation which only mixing with numbers gives.” she sees that the head of the school should be a woman, “left free to work the school, on certain conditions, without a committee of management.” the buildings, of course, “should be vested in a body of trustees, of which some should be women.”
it has sometimes been urged as a reproach that miss buss employed women-teachers in preference to men. that she employed women wherever it was 204possible is certain, because she considered teaching a legitimate occupation for women, and set herself to fit them for the work. that women could teach, she knew from her own experience. that they should teach better in the future than they had ever done in the past was one of her steady aims, and one that she attained.
here is a strong expression of her feeling when she first read the report of the edinburgh merchants’ company’s schools, in 1872—
“the report is interesting, but i absolutely burn with indignation (does not my atrocious handwriting bear witness to it?) at the bare notion of men teachers in the upper girls’ schools. it is shameful, costly (because some poor drudge of a woman must accept starvation pay, in order to maintain decorum by being present at every master’s lesson), and it is degrading to women’s education. how can girls value it, when they see that no amount of it will make a woman fit to teach them, except as infants.
“don’t be frightened, i feel well and even amiable, though i am in a great hurry, and my hand aches.”
her own deliberate opinion on this matter is expressed in the letter to her colonial correspondent—
“although i advocate certain teaching being given by men to the elder girls, it does not seem desirable that the head of a girls’ school should be a man. there are many things in the training of a young woman which cannot be enforced by a man, or even by a woman whose position does not carry the weight of authority. women, also, teach young and ignorant children better than men, their patience and sympathy being greater. on the other hand, it is highly desirable, when girls are beyond the drudgery of school-work, that their minds should be touched by men. a certain fibre seems to be given by this means. at present women’s ignorance prevents them from giving the highest kind of teaching, but a brighter day is dawning for them i trust.”
all through her career, miss buss arranged for good lectures from men, as well as from women, and the 205regular religious instruction was always given by a clergyman. in early days there were courses of lectures by dr. hodgson and mr. payne. there were lectures on literature from french and german professors, in their own tongues. at one time the girls would be entranced by glimpses of the starry heavens from mr. proctor; at another, they were ready, en masse, to follow captain wiggins through the perils of the arctic seas, to siberia. in brief, these extra lectures included every possible subject that could tend to culture, in history, travels, art, or social matters.
how miss bass advanced in educational theory is shown in extracts from her letters in 1872, just after the private school had been made public, and while the work of organization was still going on—
“when we are once fairly started, matters will go on more easily. the anxiety over money will go, for instance. after next year, the public meeting will go, i hope. then i may devote myself to the inside of the school.
“i want to train up girl-students in science; i want to teach music grandly—thoroughly in classes—making each girl understand what she plays, as well as if she were reading some passage of poetry, teaching her to find out the musician’s thought; his mode of expressing it; other ways of expression of the same thought, viz. words. the grammar of music should be known to every musician.
“of course, only some girls would fully benefit by this teaching, but all who were taught would get some good. in this last point miss maclean, now mrs. g. fraser, will help. indeed, she will carry out my idea thoroughly.[10] we must have a room with four pianos to begin with, and increase to six, or eight, if necessary.
206“in science mr. aveling will help, and miss eliza orme; but as soon as we can get some of our girls quite ready our assistant science teachers must come from them.
“ah, ah, how i wish we could get a fine building for the camden school; we do want a lecture hall and gymnasium so much.
“if ever we have a little money, i should like the old furniture in camden street to be turned to account in a still lower school—at a shilling a week. we might work out this plan and have two schools—not reckoning an evening one—in a room thus used.
“then i want to (perhaps) turn no. 202, camden road, into a day training college for teachers. when we have left the house, we might give up the large room behind, and so diminish the rent.
“of this training or normal college miss chessar could be superintendent, without giving up her whole time. the house would enable us to train at least a hundred students at a time, and they must pay for their training; as much, certainly, as the school fees would amount to.
“our training college should not receive ignorant girls. none should join who could not pass our examination at entrance.
“our students should learn the history of great teachers, their methods, etc., should learn how to teach and what to teach; how to develop the mental, moral, and physical capacities of their pupils (by moral i mean also spiritual). we would affiliate to our college the national schools, the school boards of the neighbourhood, and our own girls’ schools, so that every student in training should have the opportunity of seeing actual schools in work.
“i have not mentioned this last to any one but mr. payne, for several reasons, one being that i am ambitious for the cause of education and especially for the mixture of sexes; if the college of preceptors would take up the idea, it might be better left to them. our board might then rent to them our present house. if the preceptors won’t do it, then i would urge our board to try the question.
“our chairman thinks this professional aspect of teaching ridiculous. i remained silent while he was speaking, as i am gradually growing into the idea that teaching is one of the noblest 207professions, not second even to medicine—one does with the body, the other with the immortal soul!
“but one point will be to carry first the half-time lower school; no doubt the brewers will warm to this, if i can persuade them. this school might positively be built on their estate, near camden street. the danish model, i mean!”
10. mrs. fraser died within a year or so of her marriage in 1873, and miss buss writes: “one sad cloud has overshadowed us—the death of my dear old pupil and recent fellow-worker, emma maclean (mrs. fraser).... as i write, my eyes fill with tears at the thought of that fair young life thus early cut down.... you know how she stood at my side in all the recent musical changes, but you cannot know what a wonderful teacher she was. she inspired her pupils, and her power was so great that no difficulty in managing them ever occurred. i have now to find a successor to her; replace her i cannot.” a musical scholarship was founded in memory of mrs. fraser.
the following letter, written by miss buss, appeared in the autumn of 1872:—
“school-hours.
“to the editor of the ‘times.’
“sir,—having had the opportunity recently of becoming acquainted with the system pursued in the primary schools of sweden and denmark, it has occurred to me that we may learn something from our scandinavian neighbours with regard to the very important question: hours of attendance.
“one great difficulty we have to face is so to arrange the hours of school that the children shall be able to attend school and yet find time for work.
“throughout denmark education is compulsory, the parents being liable to fine and imprisonment for neglecting to send their children to school; but the difficulty of combining school attendance with freedom for work is met by the simple plan of holding school twice a day for different sets of children. five hours being the required school attendance, one set of children attend from 8 o’clock to 1, with an interval for recreation at 11, and another set from 1 to 6 o’clock, also with a short interval.
“the parents are free to choose between the morning and afternoon school, according to the work the children have to do. in the first case, the children can work after 1 o’clock; in the second, until that hour.
“this plan has also another advantage—it enables 2000 children to be taught in a school-house built and fitted for 1000, and this without in the least interfering with evening teaching. this is an important economical question.
“one superintendent is sufficient for both schools, as he is not expected to teach more than 18 hours a week. he has a staff of assistants, some of whom are visiting teachers only, for special subjects, such as gymnastics, singing, etc. elementary teachers are compelled to teach 36 hours a week, and may, if they wish, 208earn extra payment by extra teaching to the extent of 42 hours. the time-tables of the schools are so arranged that three sets of teachers can thoroughly manage four schools.
“would not the adoption of some such plan, modified to suit local cases, clear away some of our difficulties? a maximum attendance of four hours daily, from 8.30 to 12.30, and from 1 to 5 o’clock, would, perhaps, be better suited to london, with one day’s holiday in a fortnight.
“the system appears to work well in denmark, and to produce the desired results. the children attend school 30 hours a week. a diminution of the school-hours would still secure 24 hours a week for each school; but questions of detail must, of course, depend on local conditions. i merely wish to call attention to the possible solution of one, at least, of our difficulties.
“a practical teacher.”
this last dream never came true. but the advance in the elementary schools met all need of this kind. the higher board schools form now the connecting-link with the camden school.
it may be of interest here to show how miss buss carried out her thought about the camden school, now housed as nobly as she could have desired. from miss elford, the first head-mistress of the camden school, as well as from her successor, there are touching notices of their relations with the founder of their school—
“miss buss had long felt the need of such a school, and for her to feel the need was for her to leave nothing undone until the need was supplied. it was as far back as the summer of 1868, when miss buss intimated to me—an old pupil—that in all probability a school would be founded in connection with her school, the fees of which would be four guineas a year. and would i like to be its head-mistress! the lowness of the fees rather alarmed me; but without hesitation, in full confidence of the success that must attend any scheme she took up, i said yes!
“foresight and forethought were two of miss buss’ many and great qualifications. i have frequently heard old girls say, ‘if miss buss told me to do a thing of which i could not quite see the advisability, i should do it, knowing that she could see the 209necessity for it, and the good that would result from it, for she never makes a mistake.’
“the camden school for girls, however, was not started until january, 1871, in the old school-houses, nos. 12 and 14, camden street, which had been until that time occupied by the north london collegiate school. it began with the head-mistress and miss buss as superintendent, and was opened with 45 pupils on the first day, january 16, 1871; 78 entered during the first term, and the first year closed with 192 pupils.
“miss buss, deeply interested in its success, watched carefully its progress, and entered fully into the whole working of the school. in the early days, the curriculum of work was entirely under her supervision. she had the power of making others capable of carrying out her suggestions, and of making them realize their own ability. the teaching was precisely on the same lines as those for girls of the same age in the north london collegiate. the visits of miss buss to the school were frequent, sometimes she came alone, sometimes with visitors; but thursday afternoons, for several years, were specially set apart for work with us. she would visit every class, and, for the first year or two, knew most of the girls, encouraging some, stimulating others. all were so glad of her kind word. her dress was pulled timidly by a little child to obtain the desired smile.
“thursday thus became the red-letter day of the week. no question ever arose but she might be depended on for the wisest solution of the difficulty.
“the need for the school soon spoke for itself, for at the end of the second year, 1872, there were 331 pupils. and in january, 1873, as many as fifty were unable to be admitted. girls from all parts of london, north, south, east, and west, were anxiously waiting to come in; for at this time there existed no polytechnic day schools, nor middle schools for girls. the enthusiasm to enter was so great that one case may be mentioned of a little girl and her mother, who hearing that there were so many new ones applying, got up at six o’clock in the morning to catch the first train from acton ‘to be in time.’ alas! there was no vacancy.
“in 1871, seven pupils passed the college of preceptors’ examination in the lowest class. in 1872, seven passed the junior cambridge local, and 17 the college of preceptors’. this would be but little now, but miss buss said, let them feel they can do something, or, as she so often said, ‘aim high, and you will strike high.’
210“the numbers increased so rapidly, now being 390, that a third house, no. 18, camden street, was taken and adapted, and no other change was made until may, 1878, when the school moved to the new buildings in the prince of wales road, kentish town, of which the foundation-stone was laid by miss buss. the numbers had reached 420, with generally 90 or 100 waiting admission.”
the present head-mistress of the camden school, miss lawford, is also good enough to give some details of more recent date—
“my recollections of miss buss begin with my school-days, and with the very earliest of them. it was to the north london collegiate school for ‘ladies,’ as it was then called, that i was sent, after a very short experience of school-life elsewhere.
“but when the time came to take up work as head of the camden school, how greatly was my responsibility lightened by the sound advice and help which she gave me. i remember one case of more than usual difficulty which caused me considerable anxiety, and in which a false step might have given me and the school an unpleasant notoriety. i took the matter to her, she seized the point at once, was quite clear as to the action to be taken, and the whole affair ended happily. the clearness of her intellect and the facility with which she grasped a situation were salient traits in her character.
“the tie which connects her with the camden school as its founder is one which we are proud to remember. she took the keenest interest in all its work, and in all her visits (she) always had a word for any girls who had distinguished themselves, or who were connected in any way with old friends and pupils of her own. we always looked for her on red-letter days such as prize day and founder’s day. on one of these latter she gave us a lecture on lady jane grey which we specially valued. on these occasions so many friends wanted her at the north london collegiate school that it was not often she could spare more time than to go round the gymnasium and the schoolrooms, and to speak a few gratifying words to the girls. she often invited the upper part of the school to lectures at the north london collegiate school; one much enjoyed by them, ‘a trip to sunshine in december,’ gave an account of a christmas holiday spent in the riviera. she remembered us in other substantial ways. the splendid 211photograph of the colosseum which decorates one of our rooms was brought by her from italy. the lending library was partly started by a sum given by her for the purpose. the building of the gymnasium and the introduction of trained teachers for physical exercise was her initiative.
“what one feels more especially about miss buss is her utter sincerity. whether she was helping you in a difficulty or promoting some great educational movement you felt she did it without thought of self. there was no touch of the little mind about her, no thought of adding to her own prestige. she spent her life in the cause of education with loyalty and single-hearted devotion. it was the happy lot of some of us to be associated with her in her work. we have indeed lost a friend whose greatness of mind and purpose ever stimulated us. we can only be thankful for the privilege which has been ours, and seek to carry out the high aims which she set before us.”
we know now—a quarter of a century after—what has been achieved by this great worker whose life remains as an inspiration for the times to come. what she aspired to may be best given in her own self-estimate in those early days.
i had sent her an account of a great spiritual work done by mary lyon, a distinguished american teacher, and received in acknowledgment the following note:—
“july, 1871.
“dear miss ridley,
“i have read mary lyon’s ‘training school.’ in the past i have often had visions of such, or similar work, but as life has grown out upon me i have seen these higher hopes and aspirations fade a good deal. still, i recognize many blessings and some usefulness in my life. it has not been a wasted or misused one. one must do what one can, and leave the issue to him who guides all things right.
“yours affectionately,
“frances m. buss.”
from this modest self-appraisement i turn now to the thick volumes—six of them, almost all in her own 212handwriting—notes of the addresses she gave in school and at myra, embracing every topic—moral and religious—that touches a girl’s life.[11] how they affected the girls who heard them letter after letter tells; and we, not so favoured, may imagine what they must have been, given in that clear impressive voice, as the results of most careful thought, and brightened by anecdote and illustration, gathered in these note-books, from everyday life and from past history. what is most striking in these notes is not merely an observation which let nothing slip, but the wise selection of a varied culture and extensive reading amounting to high scholarship. and as we remember that this work was all done amid the pressure of daily teaching, through all the long struggle of the establishment of the new schools, and then amidst the whirl of public life, we scarcely can tell where lies the greatest wonder—in the work itself, or in the humility which could include it all in those simple words: “but one must do what one can!”
11. a selection from these “notes” is being prepared for the use of teachers by miss toplis, and will shortly be published by messrs. macmillan and co.
it is easy, after going through these notes, to be sure of the secret of her great influence. it is teaching that goes straight to the point because it comes straight from the heart of the teacher, whose happy pupils had good reason to say, “what before may have been only words to us then became facts. she was not so much a teacher as an inspiration!”
how these earlier ideals stood the test of time we may read in a record given a quarter of a century later by the colleague who best knew her work of “education as known in the north london collegiate school for girls.”
