Public Education For Certain People
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Public Education for certain People
Public education was an unfulfilled promise. Pioneers in Canadian education like Egerton Ryerson championed the cause of school for everyone; regardless of gender, ethnicity, or social standing. A noble ideal and to some point perhaps achieved, but participation does not equal success. Schooling in early Canada was not what it is now. It was a time of growth and a new nation’s social development. Like a newborn in the hands of inexperienced parents mistakes were inevitable, unfortunately these mistakes were not recognized by the generation that made them. Canadians in the early 19th century did not allow equal access to schools. Many people were not comfortable with their children sharing classes with other genders and minorities. Those deemed inferior or lower were not given the luxury of choice.
Native children were dealt the cruelest blow. The Canadian government did deliver on their promise to educate all Canadians, in the native Indians case they got more than they asked for. Taken away from their families they were forced to attend church regulated schools (The promise of Schooling Paul Axelrodd pg 72 ). S.Contenta paints a picture of Young native children being swallowed into a hidden curriculum that enforced beliefs in opposition to their ancestral culture (Egerton Ryerson and the hidden curriculum). The destructive hidden curriculum has all but destroyed the native culture to this day. What most Canadians do not realize is that the education that was forced on them, under the premise of helping them to join civilized society, was not in conjunction with public education. Natives despite this being their ancestral land were not allowed to attend school with the dominant white class instead they were taken away to residential schools (Axelrodd pg 73). Since they were not allowed to attend public schools. Native children were educated by the charity of the church (mission school syndrome). As a result the education was not the equivalent of the dominant social class. Public education arrived decades too late.
African descent was enough for a child to be excluded from attending public school (The color line in religion and education Walker pg 3). Many Canadians like me have believed that segregation and racial prejudice was only a part of American education. In fact segregation has a deep and ugly history in Canada. Black children have faced bigotry since they started to attend school; Nova Scotia and Ontario were completely segregated. Black children faced a similar situation to that of natives in that they could not choose where they went to school. Ryerson in an attempt to solve the problem created the 1850 ACT separating the cost of running the schools between the Government and the local community (
Women are considered the fairer sex, just not in educational rights. In the 19th century women did not have a position of equality to that of men. They were primarily taught to be homemakers and any education that they received was only in this regard. This obvious stereotype aside they were not even allowed to be in class with men until the late 19th century (Sexism in education Nancy Sheehan pg 334). Girls were in general being schooled at home by a governess (The promise of schooling Paul Axelrodd pg 6) then with the free public schools opening in 1871 girls could finally attend classes with boys. After spending most of the century studying in seclusion and only domestically orientated subjects, girls were finally able to study on a level equivalent to that of boys. Despite being allowed into class, girls were not treated the same during or after there education. Women regardless of their ability did not have equal opportunity in what they could study, or where they could study. They did receive the elusive right to be educated with the dominant majority; they just didn’t have as many choices to what extent they would be educated.
Education was not for the poor. Public schooling was a dream for most of the 19th century, before public schooling in 1871 many Canadians were unable to attend. In early Canada many professions required little education. Fur trading, canal building, farming, and fishing were all professions that were learned on the job. In the 19th century it was uncommon for children not to follow in their parents footsteps. Since formal education was not required for most positions, most of the public did not receive formal education. The children from the bluer class that attended school were often taught to the level of reading scripture; this was regarded as upper class and was something that families aspired to. Most children in lower class families did not have time to attend; many Canadians were farmers their children were needed to provide the labor. The children that were not from farming families still had to learn the family trade. There was no time for school. Education became a resource of the wealthy. It was quite often only those in higher society or affluent families that would receive formal education. There were instances of children attending school by the grace or kindness of wealthy private citizens but in general school was for the rich (Axelrodd pg7). To some extent this did change in 1871, now the opportunity was there the problems arose with the lure or working instead of going to school. Children were cheap labor and they often chose this over school. To the governments credit they did enforce laws to keep children in schools. Finally in this part of society public education was a dream realized; unfortunately it came late in the century.
Public education was not a dismal failure. Public education is not something that can occur overnight. A new country, full of diverse people cannot come to a medium so easily. Education in itself has been a valuable commodity for millennia; nothing that carries value can be shared easily. The terrible mistakes made to those of Indian descent can never be rectified. The cruelty showed