DUNCOMBE, Dr. Charles
Title continues: "Made to the Parliament of Upper Canada, 25th February, 1836, Through the Commissioners Doctors Morrison and Bruce, Appointed by a Resolution of the House of Assembly in 1835, To Obtain Information Upon the Subject of Education, &c." Charles Duncombe (1792 1867) is best known today as a leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837 but he was active as a Reform politician in the 1830s and produced several important legislative reports on banking, lunatic asylums, and education. In this report on education, he calls for a radical expansion of common school education in Upper Canada, rejects the grammar school model pursued by the Family Compact, and argues for practical education that prepares students for life in the real world. A bill based on Duncombes report did pass the assembly on April 4, 1836, only to be rejected by the Family Compact dominated Legislative Council. Many of the bill's provisions, however, were introduced after the Rebellion of 1837, including elective school boards, female education, creation of normal schools, prescribed textbooks, and non-sectarian religious instruction. By that time, Duncombe had fled to the U.S. where he remained for the rest of his life.
