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
“Music, above all studies, needs backing up with the advantage
of a thoroughly good education. It has always been my endeavour
to keep it from encroaching unfairly on the time and strength of
the girls. Miss Buss understood this, and helped to make it
understood.
“You have, my dear Mrs. Bryant, for so long been a witness to
that which I have so clumsily described. Please forgive me.
“Yours very truly,
“JOHN FARMER.”
“To the same purpose is a letter from Dr. Ablett, head of the Royal
Drawing Society—
“So many evidences have come to me of the great part Miss Buss
has played in the development of education, and she gave such
willing and helpful support to the work of this society that I,
personally, unfeignedly mourn her loss.
“Our council will be sorry to lose one of its members who, by
her world-wide reputation, added strength to, and won confidence
for, it.
“Miss Chreimann also bears similar witness—
“Miss Buss was amongst the first to introduce into her school
the eclectic (and original) series of physical exercises which
have been termed my ‘system,’ though my own feeling would always
be—
‘For forms and systems let the fools contest:
Whate’er is best administered is best!’
My aim is to secure equal balance in all the working organs of
the body, with permanence of function and steady gain in beauty
and order, rather than to teach any particular set or sets of
exercises.
“Miss Buss had early been impressed by the vastness of waste
consequent on the physical disabilities of girls, and still more
by the need of the grace that goes with well managed strength.
It was for these ends that she urged me to give my time to the
training of teachers, and the subsequent inspection of their
work, rather than to the endeavour after a physical culture,
which she agreed was necessary, but which was years in advance
of the sentiment, alike of the parents and of the majority of
educationalists.
“Miss Buss probably did more than any other public
school-mistress for the knowledge and adaptation of physical
training to the requirements of girls.”
In conclusion, Mrs. Bryant adds—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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