Elementary School of Commerce / Escola Elementar do Comercio

In the former building of the Commercial Association of this city, on Avenida de João Gonçalves Zarco, an elementary school of commerce operated for several years, providing good and recognized services in our community. The boys who dedicated themselves to a career in commerce found there the teaching of the French and English languages, as well as commercial writing and accounting. At the Industrial School, they completed their studies with courses in the Portuguese language, arithmetic and geometry, and also drawing, thus acquiring the necessary qualifications to confidently and securely embrace a commercial career. This educational institution, which had the character of a private course, was created by the Commercial Association, at a time when it was presided over by Mr. Henrique Vieira de Castro, who contributed greatly to its establishment. It was maintained by the same association, which received a modest subsidy from the Municipal Council of this municipality for this purpose. The course consisted of classes in French, English, and commercial writing, with exams at the end of the school years, although they did not have official formalities. Jacinto Augusto Pereira Brasão was the French language teacher, Archibald Clode taught English, and Abraão Atias and later A. C. Coutinho Gorjão taught commercial writing. It was in 1897 that this course began to operate, but it did not last long, despite the good services it provided.