Page 13 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 13
must operate within certain limits. And let this be said very clearly: many, many
fine teachers worked within these constraints, yet managed to awaken young
minds to the wonder of the world.
An alternative
The Provincial's hope was that the new school would break away from the set
courses, and do something valuable with the freedom thus granted. There was a
time when the Jesuits were known as the school masters of Europe. Over 150 years
they had evolved their own system. Its main outlines were contained in the Ratio
Studiorum. There is no need here to go into a long discussion of the famous Ratio
Studiorum. The following points, though, are essential to its understanding.
There was a passionate belief in making a man articulate both in speaking and in
writing. You trained a man to think by training him in clear expression. If he
cannot express himself clearly, it is because his mind is not clear. He will learn to
think clearly by endeavouring to express himself clearly. That was the heart of it.
The language of that expression was Greek and Latin. For two hundred years
the Jesuit schools were by far the most formative educational centres of Europe.
This era came to an end with the suppression of the Jesuit Order by the Pope in
1773.
By the time the Jesuits were restored and strong enough to establish schools
once more, Europe had changed out of recognition. The French Revolution had
~appened; the Napoleonic State centralisation had begun a process that would
grow stronger; there was the birth of intense nationalism; and finally there was the
rising and successful challenge of science.
Few people today are aware that the famous old Jesuit schools were free
schools. They were endowed by the rich and the privileged . But they were open to
all. The Jesuit schools of the restored Society of Jesus had no such endowments.
They scraped along as best they could, always hampered by lack of money. It
would be many years before it was taken for granted that the education of the
people was a primary obligation of government.
Would it be possible to run a school today on the old Ratio Studiorum
principles? This was the challenge that the Provincial Fr Byrne had fo r the new
school. There would be a great emphasis on Languages and on Rhetoric. Greek
and Latin would have an honoured place. But English and, hopefully, Irish would
be equally important. The sciences would not feature on the curriculum. This is all
the more remarkable when one considers that Fr Byrne was himself a science
graduate. At least it showed consistency. The principle was that you fir st trained a
man to think clearly and to express himself clearly before he tackled his
professional subjects. Such at least was the hope, and such in broad outlines was
the thinking behind the new school.
The loca tion of the school
It will probably come as a surprise to most pupils of Gonzaga, past and present,
to hear that neither the present name of the school, nor its present position, were
the ones first envisioned. From the archives it would appear that the first site
considered was Churchtown House. The house could readily be adapted for school
5
fine teachers worked within these constraints, yet managed to awaken young
minds to the wonder of the world.
An alternative
The Provincial's hope was that the new school would break away from the set
courses, and do something valuable with the freedom thus granted. There was a
time when the Jesuits were known as the school masters of Europe. Over 150 years
they had evolved their own system. Its main outlines were contained in the Ratio
Studiorum. There is no need here to go into a long discussion of the famous Ratio
Studiorum. The following points, though, are essential to its understanding.
There was a passionate belief in making a man articulate both in speaking and in
writing. You trained a man to think by training him in clear expression. If he
cannot express himself clearly, it is because his mind is not clear. He will learn to
think clearly by endeavouring to express himself clearly. That was the heart of it.
The language of that expression was Greek and Latin. For two hundred years
the Jesuit schools were by far the most formative educational centres of Europe.
This era came to an end with the suppression of the Jesuit Order by the Pope in
1773.
By the time the Jesuits were restored and strong enough to establish schools
once more, Europe had changed out of recognition. The French Revolution had
~appened; the Napoleonic State centralisation had begun a process that would
grow stronger; there was the birth of intense nationalism; and finally there was the
rising and successful challenge of science.
Few people today are aware that the famous old Jesuit schools were free
schools. They were endowed by the rich and the privileged . But they were open to
all. The Jesuit schools of the restored Society of Jesus had no such endowments.
They scraped along as best they could, always hampered by lack of money. It
would be many years before it was taken for granted that the education of the
people was a primary obligation of government.
Would it be possible to run a school today on the old Ratio Studiorum
principles? This was the challenge that the Provincial Fr Byrne had fo r the new
school. There would be a great emphasis on Languages and on Rhetoric. Greek
and Latin would have an honoured place. But English and, hopefully, Irish would
be equally important. The sciences would not feature on the curriculum. This is all
the more remarkable when one considers that Fr Byrne was himself a science
graduate. At least it showed consistency. The principle was that you fir st trained a
man to think clearly and to express himself clearly before he tackled his
professional subjects. Such at least was the hope, and such in broad outlines was
the thinking behind the new school.
The loca tion of the school
It will probably come as a surprise to most pupils of Gonzaga, past and present,
to hear that neither the present name of the school, nor its present position, were
the ones first envisioned. From the archives it would appear that the first site
considered was Churchtown House. The house could readily be adapted for school
5
