On This Day In History: First Public And Free School Opened For Poor Children – On Sep 15, 1616

AncientPages.com - On September 15, 1616, Saint Joseph Calasanz established the first public, free school for poor children in Europe.

Statue of San José de Calasanz at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, Zaragoza. Image  credit: Ecelan - CC BY-SA 4.0

The school was opened in the Italian town Frascati. These were challenging times for low-income families and their children. For the first time, these children could attend school in Frascati.

Saint Joseph Calasanz (September 11, 1557 – August 25, 1648) was a Spanish Catholic priest, educator, and founder of the Pious Schools. He was a great man who dedicated his life to the education of poor children – those who would never have the opportunity to learn, read, and write.

Before this historical day, only children from rich and noble families and future priests attended the schools.

Later, there were several more free schools known as the Pious Schools. The schools were run by the Religious Order known as the Piarists, the first Catholic order dedicated to education.

The concept of free primary schools originated from the Piarists, who opened many such schools across Europe.

Joseph Calasanz is honored as a saint by the Catholic Church. Calasanz was an educator of the poor, offering education free of charge to all classes of society without discrimination.

He is honored as a saint by the Catholic Church.

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