subject: Pioneer Schoolhouse – Bringing Education to Settler Families [print this page] Pioneer Schoolhouse Bringing Education to Settler Families
The pioneer schoolhouse had a very important position in the lives of the early European settlers in North America. These people had fled their countries in order to build a new life in the wide open spaces of North America and they knew that they had to work hard in order to succeed against all odds. Large groups of families, complete with children, made their way across the plains of North America looking for a place to set down roots. They put in a lot of effort in order to make their settlements safe and a place fit to raise a family in. They understood the value of education and got together to build a one room school house where all children would be taught.
Like everything else that was built in those hard times, the pioneer schoolhouse was a rough structure made of wooden planks or logs of wood, depending on the available trees. The settlers even had to look for a schoolteacher and pay his salary themselves since the requirement of educating children was completely theirs and because there was no civil authority that would do this job in these areas.
A one room school house was therefore a very important part of a pioneer town, even though it was sadly lacking in facilities or comfort. Paper was in extremely short supply in those days and the available supply was certainly not given to children. Children in those days had to practice their writing on slates. In addition, they had to make do with a few books available for all them together. The school teacher was strict and the only teaching style in those days was by rote learning.
Children were kept very busy in those days, even if they did not have much study to do by today's standards. They had to practice reading, writing and arithmetic in addition to basic geography. They also had to do a lot of chores for the pioneer schoolhouse and its teacher outside their school hours. The school teacher was not paid very well in those impoverished times, and the children helped their parents by doing work for the school in place of a monetary payment.
The importance of education was so great that parents sent their children to the pioneer schoolhouse in all weather conditions. It was sometimes too difficult for the child to get there on foot but it had to be done, nevertheless. The schoolhouse, made of logs, was not the most comfortable or warmest place to be in and children huddled in their winter clothes inside the classroom was a very common sight. However, they persevered because their parents knew that education was the key to a better life.
In spite of the difficulties that people faced and irrespective of the shortcomings of a pioneer schoolhouse, it still managed to educate generations of children reasonably well. People, particularly those who are interested in the lives of the pioneers, make it a point to see any pioneer log cabins such as schoolrooms and homes that have been preserved for their historical value. They also love to buy models of these log cabins, both for their entertainment and for gifting.
These schoolhouses and other pioneer structures have had an enduring appeal for Canadians and Americans because of the vital role they played in building their culture. Every pioneer schoolhouse that has been preserved as a museum has great importance in today's world. This is because they serve as a very potent reminder of the past when large numbers of people swept across the plains of North America looking for a safe place to settle down.
