1. NOTE:
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2. “As Necessary as the Light”
Egerton Ryerson and Public Education in Ontario
by Robert Francis Dorey
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3. Early Life
Born in 1803 in Charlotteville Township, Norfolk County, Upper Canada to Joseph and Sarah Ryerson.
Descendent of American Loyalists
Father and uncle were part of the loyalist establishment in the district

4. War of 1812 and Protestant Revivalism
Egerton was too young, but his father and three eldest brothers all served in the War of 1812
Upper Canada was officially Anglican, but there was no Anglican ministry
Methodist circuit-riders from U.S. travelled throughout Upper Canada during Egerton’s childhood, preaching a second salvation

5. Methodist Minister and Editor of the Christian Guardian
Led a public defence, through newspaper articles and books, of Methodism in Canada against a campaign by the Anglican establishment to label Methodists as traitors
Chosen as first editor of Canadian Methodist newspaper; paper was one of the most influential in Upper Canada in the 1830s and 40s and Egerton became a leading political voice in the colony
Many of the political issues important to Canadian Methodism made Egerton a natural ally of the Reformist movement in the colony
However, his Loyalist upbringing also made him a defender of Crown authority and the British connection

6. Superintendent of Schools for Canada West
The support Egerton enjoyed from more moderate Reformists and the Methodist establishment led to his political appointment as Superintendent of Schools for Canada West by Governor Metcalfe in 1844
Long had an interest in public education, primarily in his defense of the Anglican Church’s attempt to keep education private and under the purview of the Church
“On the importance of education generally we may remark, it is as necessary as the light – it should be as common as water and as free as air. Education among the people is the best security of a good government and constitutional liberty” - Ryerson

7. Superintendent of Schools for Canada West
Toured Europe from to learn about public education systems being constructed there
Between 1845 and 1876, Egerton was involved in a multitude of projects, including
drafting major Canadian public education legislation of 1846, 1850, and 1871;
the development of school libraries; the creation of a museum of art and science (today’s Royal Ontario Museum);
an educational journal and professional development conventions for teachers;
a central textbook press using Canadian authors;
and the securing of government land grants for public universities

8. Superintendent of Schools for Canada West
Primary achievements were:
Made universal access to elementary education possible in Ontario
Promoted improvements in the quality of the school programme
Established an effective administrative structure for Ontario’s public school system
Ryerson retired in 1876, but continued work on various projects for the rest of his life, including a history of the United Empire Loyalists, a school textbook on political economy, and a history of Canadian Methodism. He died in February 1882.

9. Questions