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The foundations of the present-day Canadian public education system were laid in the 19th century when Canada was still a British colony. The goal of those who were set the task of reforming the education system was to better meet the needs of British colonial interests and the interests of a colony whose cities were growing. When you examine the artifacts in this collection, you always have to ask the question "whose needs are being met as public education evolved?" There are a few key questions to keep in mind, when considering the social issues that the public education system attempts to address, be it the lack of care for underprivileged children, corporal punishment, special education or treatment of those outside of the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant majority. These key questions include: - To what extent does this issue continue? And how has it changed to the present day? - From whose perspective were changes in the nature of public education advantageous to the larger portion of society? - To what extent could changes be described as ‘radical reform’ and to what extent were the changes reactions to a changing social and political climate?
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Hester How in Her Classroom
St. Clair Avenue School
Children Playing on Glider Swing
Ad for a Rotary Neostyle Duplicating Machine
McCaul Street School
Advertisement for Fire Extinguishers
Toronto Normal and Model School - Egyptian Artists' room
Discipline Book from Givens School
Portrait bust of Joseph Workman
Victoria Street School Students on a Field Trip
Central Technical School - First Building
Physical Culture: First Book of Exercises in Drill, Calisthenics, and Gymnastics
Louisa Street School, Kindergarten Class
Church Street School Toronto
Illustration of Church Street Public School
Lithograph of Church Street School