Alanna Wilson - Blog 3

To further our understanding of the topics covered this week, we were assigned to read Chapter 3: Historical Overview of Education in Canada within our textbook. Although, the beginning of this chapter contained primarily fact-based information, it is pertinent in our understanding of how our schooling system operated and how it has changed over time.

I was particularly interested in the section regarding the mass schooling established within Canada during the mid-1850’s. Concerning the introduction of mass schooling within Canada, Robson suggests: “Many accounts of the history of the education system in Canada, particularly accounts prior to the 1960s, represent it as the “triumph of great men” (Di Mascio 2010:36) who created an education system in an effort to overcome increasing class inequalities”(p. 81). Next Robson mentions: “Newer interpretations understand early school advocates as elite “school promoters” who founded the public school system as a means of entrenching a certain type of values on the growing Canadian population: middle class, British, and Christian (usually Protestant). But the social processes behind the eventual acceptance of mass schooling are more complex than the visions of a few prominent men”(p. 82). Lastly, Robson states: “Schooling was touted as a means to reduce juvenile delinquency and adult criminality that was perceived to be inextricably linked to ignorance and poverty”(p. 82). From my understanding of this section, it seems as though there was the school system followed a “Eurocentric” type of view with regards to structure and discipline. There was also great effort through the notion of mass schooling to eradicate the lower class system in attempts to organize society in a particular way. Prior to this section in the text, I must say I was a little naïve to this idea of mass schooling and the segregation that was implemented. Our understanding of this information is certainly important as we can distinguish the differences that have occurred and appreciate how our public system has developed over the years.

Discussion Question:

In what ways do you believe it is beneficial to educate ourselves on older forms of schooling systems?