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introducing the mather school

  • Writer: Adora Brown
    Adora Brown
  • Oct 31, 2024
  • 2 min read

Updated: Nov 1, 2024

The headline of a 1995 print article reads, “Dorchester, home to the country's first public school.” The Mather School was founded with public funds in 1639, and to this day, it houses a diverse population of the Greater Boston area. 


The article discusses how Dorchester was relatively late in opening a high school despite having the first public elementary school. Prior to 1852, the school system consisted of six schoolhouses which served around 3,000 students. 


But in 1639, the town of Dorchester voted to tax the proprietors of Thompson Island and put the money in a public treasury towards the creation of a school. The original building was on a road known as Settlers’ Street, and a new space was built atop Meeting House Hill in 1694. 


Photograph from Annual Report of the School House Department from Feb. 1, 1905 to February 1, 1906 of the original Mather School.

Today, the Mather School serves 616 K-6 students every year. Its Vietnamese dual-language program distinguishes it from other schools. Asian students, predominantly Vietnamese, comprise roughly 30% of the student body. 


With waves of new students enrolling in the school every year, each grade level offers an immersion class. The program is an impressive testament to the Mather School’s curriculum, which is representative of the 40% of Dorchester residents who identify as Vietnamese. 


Every day, the Mather School students recite their pledge, which reflects the school’s mission. The pledge is translated into the three most commonly spoken languages at school other than English: Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole, and Spanish, so every child understands their daily affirmations and promises to themselves.


 “I must work hard today

Get smarter in every way

Helped by my teacher, my family and my friends

If I make some mistakes

I have what it takes

To keep trying ‘till I really succeed.” 


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