As early as 1824, a functioning school existed in Arichat under the tutelage of John Walsh who instructed 30 to 40 aspiring scholars.
By 1834, the school faced insurmountable financial difficulties, and as a result, the creditors – primarily John Tyrrell, a prominent Arichat merchant – foreclosed on the property and took it over. Instead of closing it, Tyrrell hired two lay teachers who instructed in English, French, Greek, Latin, history, geography, navigation, mathematics, logic, and rhetoric. This continued until 1842 when the school was closed for want of a teacher.
In the summer of 1860, Les Frères des Écoles Chrétienne began teaching the boys of Arichat Academy. Soon 157 students were enrolled at the new school, plus 28 mature students who took courses in the evening.
In 1865, the provincial government passed an act which designated the Brothers’ school and the convent as high schools. This meant that all teachers were required to take examinations in English and the Brothers refused to submit to this. They resigned and were replaced by lay teachers, one of whom was Remi Benoit.
The following are taken from the registers of Arichat Academy from 1924 to 1935:
Student number one to student number forty-five were in the Primary section taught by Sr. Marie St. Prudent
Yr. Gr. Name Parent Attendance
1924 3 Agathe LeBlanc Godfrey 164/199
1924 3 Dorothy Young Francis 173/199
1924 3 Anna Boucher Simon 141/199
1924 3 Harold Maloney Wallace 140.5/199
1924 3 Xavier Boucher Simon 184/199
1924 3 Woodrow Wilson Daniel 135.5/199
1924 3 Edouard LeBlanc Andre 150.5/199
1924 3 Gustave Benoit Joseph 161/199
1924 3 Alfred Thurgood Edward 146/199
1924 3 Bernadette Richard Pierre 153/199
1924 2 Georges Samson George Petitpas 176/199
1924 2 Francois Petitpas Walter 182/199
1924 3 Joseph Richard Pierre 85.5/199
1924 2 Alvina Stone Charles 4/199
1924 1 Elsie Malzard Charles 94/199
1924 1 Henri Theriault Alphonse 84/199
1924 1 John Stone Charles 59.5/199
1924 1 Agnes Wilson Daniel 91.5/199
1924 2 Rose Anne Rancon Charles 152/199
1924 2 Agnes Mombourquette Simon 157.5/199
1924 1 Arthur Stone Charles 55/199
1924 1 Lawrence LeBlanc Albenie 112/199
1924 1 William LeBlanc Albenie 117/199
1924 2 Joseph Boudreau Daniel 142.5/199
1924 2 George Young Francis 172/199
1924 1 Simon Boucher Albert 94.5/199
1924 1 Florence Northup William 49/199
1924 3 Georgina LeBlanc Casimir 108.5/199
1924 2 Simon LeBlanc Casimir 122.5/199
1924 2 Charles LeBlanc Casimir 124.5/199
1924 1 Delina LeBlanc Casimir 31/199
1924 1 Daniel O’C. Madden William 130.5/199
1924 1 Cecile Richard Pierre 26.5/199
1924 1 Theophile Richard Pierre 116/199
1924 1 Omer LeBlanc Godfrey 119/199
1924 3 Alexandre Theriault Placide 140.5/199
1924 1 Wilfred Theriault Placide 64.5/199
1924 1 Bernadette Boucher Pierre Richard 34/199
1924 3 Thelma LeBlanc James Power 168/199
1924 3 Carl Burton Bertram 128.5/199
1924 2 Irene Theriault John Sutherland 131/199
1924 1 Emma Petitpas Walter 98/199
1924 3 Emillie Boudreau John Sutherland 124.5/199
1924 1 Arthur Madden William 42/199
1924 1 Marie Goyetche Alphonse 87/199