Frances Mary Buss and her work for educationRidley, Annie E.
History
Frances Mary Buss and her work for education
Ridley, Annie E.
Buss, Frances Mary, 1827-1894
“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
necessity 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.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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