Elementary School of Commerce

In the former building of this city’s Commercial Association, on the Avenida de João Gonçalves Zarco, an elementary commercial school operated for some years and rendered good and acknowledged services in our community. Young men going into commerce were taught French and English there, as well as commercial bookkeeping and accounting. They completed their studies at the Industrial School with courses in Portuguese, arithmetic and geometry, and also drawing, thereby gaining the qualifications they needed to embark boldly and confidently on a commercial career.

This educational establishment, which had the character of a private course, was created by the Commercial Association at the time when Mr Henrique Vieira de Castro, who contributed greatly to its establishment, was its president.

It was maintained by the same association, which received a modest subsidy for the purpose from the Municipal Council (Câmara Municipal) of this municipality (concelho). The course consisted of classes in French, English and commercial bookkeeping, with examinations at the end of each academic year, although these lacked official formalities. French was taught by Jacinto Augusto Pereira Brasão, English by Archibald Clode, and commercial bookkeeping by Abraão Atias and later A. C. Coutinho Gorjão.

The course began in 1897, but it did not last long, despite the good services it rendered.