In the 19th century, especially after the ratification of the national constitution, the Western Armenians began to embark upon regulating and developing their domestic life in spite of the existing numerous obstacles and prohibitions. Permission for building Armenian educational and cultural institutions was acquired with great difficulty.
The first Armenian schools in the Ottoman Empire were established in the 1790s; this work was especially organized by the income of the church, or through the efforts, and on the initiative of, the Armenians in Constantinople. In 1866 there existed over 46 Armenian schools (32 males and 14 females) with 4,700 pupils including 1,472 school girls and 142 teachers. From the middle of the 19th century unisex colleges were opened in all the provincial centers and villages of Western Armenia.
A number of educational and cultural associations were formed on the initiative of the Armenian progressive youth who supported this work greatly. The main aim of these institutions was the foundation of schools and the dissemination of education and enlightenment in different Armenian districts. Among these organizations were вЂњNational SocietyвЂќ (Hamazgayin) formed by the efforts of pupils of Murad-Raphaelyan College in 1846, вЂњSiunyats SocietyвЂќ (Siunyats) in Izmir, вЂњThe Devoted SocietyвЂќ (Andznver) in Constantinople, вЂњSenekerimian SocietyвЂќ (Senekerimyan) in Sebastia, вЂњThe Society of Education AdvocatesвЂќ (Usumnasirats) in Brusa, вЂњThe Society of Smbatian and DevoutвЂќ (Smbatyan and Hogeser) in Kharberd city, вЂњThe Devoted SocietyвЂќ (Andznver) in Huseynik, вЂњThe Society of Education Advocates and Patriots (Usumnasiracts and Azgasirats) in Mezreh, вЂњVardan SocietyвЂќ (Vardanyan), вЂњArarat Educational SocietyвЂќ (Araratyan krtakan) and вЂњEastern School SocietyвЂќ (Dprotsasirats Arevelyan) in Chmshkatsag, вЂњArtzn SocietyвЂќ (Artznyan), вЂњEducation AdvocatesвЂќ (Usumnasirats), вЂњSociety of Reading LoversвЂќ (Yntercasirats), вЂњSisakanвЂќ (Sisakan) in Erzurum and others.
The arrival of foreign missionaries in Turkey considerably assisted this work, for they opened many preparatory schools for both sexes and colleges in the first period of their activity, proving the Armenians with an alternative in the sphere of education. The result of these efforts was that many Armenian youths got a chance to continue their education in the best universities of Europe. Afterwards they began teaching in the newly founded Armenian schools.
According to the вЂњStatistical RegisterвЂќ formed by the Education Council of the National Center Department, in 1901 and 1902 there were 803 Armenian national colleges with 81,208 pupils and 2,088 teachers, including 441 colleges with 29,371 pupils(7,772 girls) and 9,21 teachers which were on the territories of Western Armenia. It should be pointed out that all this information refers only to the Armenian Apostolic community. The schools and pupils of both sexes belonging to the Catholic and Protestant communities, as well as the private schools and foreign colleges are not registered in this document although they formed a considerable number. The quarters of Constantinople are not included here either. Thus, there existed over 1,996 Armenian schools with 173,022 pupils; of these 1,251 schools with over 76,548 pupils were on the territories of Western Armenia before World War I.
The school girls of Sahakayn School, Konia, 1910.