Frances Buss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frances Mary Buss
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Buss, c. 1882
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Frances Mary Buss
16 August 1827 |
| Died | 24 December 1894 (aged 67) London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
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| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Headmistress, pioneer |
| Years active | 1848–1894 |
| Known for | One of the first headmistresses at North London Collegiate School for Ladies |
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Frances Mary Buss (born August 16, 1827 – died December 24, 1894) was a British headmistress. She was a true pioneer in making sure girls could get a good education.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Frances Mary Buss was one of ten children born to Robert William Buss, a painter, and Frances Fleetwood. Only six of her siblings lived to be adults. When she was young, her grandparents sent her to a basic private school. Later, she went to another school in Kentish Town. She remembered this school mostly taught grammar.
By age 10, she attended a more advanced school in Hampstead. She started teaching there herself at 14. By the time she was 16, she was sometimes left in charge of the whole school.
Family School and College
Her father's art career was not always successful. To help the family, her mother started a private school in Kentish Town in 1845. Frances helped out at this school. It was based on the ideas of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, a famous educator.
From 1848 to 1849, Frances attended evening classes at Queen's College, London. This college had just opened in Harley Street, London. She learned from important teachers like Frederick Denison Maurice. She earned certificates in French, German, and Geography. She later said that the education she got there "opened a new life" for her mind.
Career as a Headmistress
The family school was renamed the North London Collegiate School for Ladies. It moved to a bigger building in Camden Street on April 4, 1850. Frances Buss became its first Headmistress. She stayed in this role for the rest of her life.
Under her leadership, and with help from her family, the school became a great example for girls' education. By 1865, the school had 200 day students and a few boarders. Her father taught art, and her brother taught Scripture.
Expanding Educational Opportunities
In July 1870, Frances Mary Buss gave control of the school to a group of trustees. The next year, she started the Camden School for Girls. Her goal was to offer good education for girls at a lower cost. She was the first person ever to use the title "Headmistress."
Buss was a leader in campaigns to get funding for girls' schools. She also fought for girls to be allowed to take public exams and go to universities. In 1874, she became the first president of the Association of Head Mistresses. She held this job until 1894. She also helped create the Teachers' Guild in 1883. In 1885, she helped set up the Cambridge Training College (now Hughes Hall, Cambridge) to train teachers.
In 1869, she became the first woman Fellow of the College of Preceptors. She helped start the College's program for teaching education in 1872. Her election as a Fellow in 1873 was the only public award she ever received. She also worked with the Teachers' Training and Registration Society.
Frances Buss was also a suffragist. This means she supported women's right to vote. She was part of the Kensington Society, a group where women discussed important issues. She also joined the London Suffrage Committee.
She is buried in the churchyard of Theydon Bois in Essex.
Legacy and Influence
Frances Mary Buss is sometimes remembered with Dorothea Beale in a funny rhyme:
Miss Buss and Miss Beale,
Cupid's darts do not feel.
How different from us,
Miss Beale and Miss Buss.
Every spring, the North London Collegiate School and the Camden School for Girls celebrate Founder's Day. This day honors Frances Mary Buss and her important work. Students and staff carry daffodils, which were Miss Buss's favorite flower.
The way Frances Mary Buss taught at the North London Collegiate School became a model for many other schools. These schools were not just in the UK but also in other countries. For example, Pretoria High School for Girls in South Africa was founded by Edith Aitken, who was a former student of Miss Buss.
See also
In Spanish: Frances Buss para niños
