Education

Education in the 18th century meant not only promoting intelligence, but also proper manners, religious and moral principles, and physical health. It referred to almost every aspect of how a person was raised and couples were instructed by the church to bring up their children with a holy and Christian education. The importance of the development of religious faith and values was placed before that of instruction in reading and writing.

In Louisbourg at this time educational opportunities were severely limited. For boys accepted as cadets in the garrison it was necessary that they receive instruction in such subjects as writing, mathematics, fortifications, hydrography, fencing, and dance. When competent instructors were available these courses could be obtained only by the sons of officers. For boys interested in a professional career at sea instruction was offered in navigation and hydrography but the tuition for such classes was probably out of the reach of most parents. The same applied to the area of formal education. Most of those parents interested in having their children, especially sons, learn to read and write probably couldn't afford the tuition. The best hope was to give them a "manual" education in the form of apprenticeship training in a craft or trade.

For those parents who could afford tuition, but were concerned with the quality of education offered in the town, there were two options: hire a private tutor to give instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and social graces; or, send the child to Canada or France for schooling. Neither of these options would have been affordable for most parents in Louisbourg, and as a result the education their children received in the 1720's would have been minimal. The best these children could hope for was some occasional teaching by a relative or basic instruction in reading and writing by the Récollet priests.

In the year 1727, opportunities for education, at least for girls, improved with the founding of a school by a member of the Sisters of the Congregation. Here, the girls of Louisbourg were able to receive a proper education. They were taught reading and writing, needlework and other "female accomplishments"; were instructed in the fundamentals of the Roman Catholic faith, and were instilled with such virtues as piety and modesty. The girls were also instructed in the rules of proper etiquette and decency. They were taught how to behave in church or at a dinner table; which games were deemed appropriate for them, and how to act when playing them; and how to present themselves properly in every situation. The religious and moral life of the students was the first concern of the sisters and almost everything said, written, read, or done was related to the Roman Catholic faith.

The sisters taught both day and border students, with different fee schedules for each. For parents with low incomes, the sisters occasionally offered a flexible fee schedule, and even then, many girls probably only spent several months in school before they were removed. They were often withdrawn due to the expenses, the need to have the student at home, or the desire to have the student employed in a wealthier household. The education of females was not overly important to most parents and a woman's ability to read, write, and do arithmetic was certainly not considered essential.

In this age males had more rights and privileges then females but, concerning education in Louisbourg, the only school that operated for a long period of time was exclusively for girls.