Figure 1.--This 1940 Catholic school portrait is undated. but the inscription ('Mai') in French means that it is Belgian, Canadian, French, or Swiss. The suits and knee socks look rather American to us, so we would assume it is Canadian. Perhaps readers will have some insights to offer. At the time Canada had joined Britain in the war with NAZI Germany and the Panzers were driving into France. Even so, there was considerable opposition to the War among French-Canadians. We are not sure how this was reflected in the schools. The clergy running the schools may have been more sympathetic to France or understood better the degree to which the NAZIs were oppressing Catholics both in the Reich and in the occupied countries. On the other hand, the some of the Catholic clergy in America and in parts of Europe saw the NAZIs as a force fighting Communism, amd the even more severe Soviet oppression of Catholics. We are not sure about the stance of the FRench CAtholic clergy.

Canada like the United States has no national school system. Rather education is a function left to the individual provinces. Thus each province has its own school system and there are differences between them which have varied over time. This is especially the case in Quebec where Catholics and French speakers are a majority. Generally speaking, public schools in Canada have not required school uniforms. Some private schools may have adopted English style school uniforms. The English-language public schools as in America never had uniforms. Many private schools, however, do have uniforms. The Catholic schools are especially important in Canada, particularly in French-speaking Québec. Americans will be somewhat confused by the fact that in Canada there were Catholic public (state) schools as well as Catholic private schools. Boys there never seem to have worn smocks as in France itself. We have received a variety of different commnents about uniform policies at parochial schools. One reader tells us that boys at parochial schools did not wear uniforms, at least in the early 20th century. We note boys wearing simple uniforms in the early 1940s. A Canadian reader tells us that school uniforms were adopted at Catholic schools, although they were discontinued in the 1960s. Another French Canadian reader writes, "Uniforms have been required in Catholic schools for years. You know, Brothers andSisters were themselves in uniform and the first community of woman in New France went here at the first years of the colony around 1608. When an adult is wearing a uniform, he will require the same from children. A a matter of fact, uniforms disappeared in Catholic schools when Brothers and sisters were replaced by young teachers in miniskirt . When religious communities were at their peak from 1890 to 1960, there was a different uniform for different schools held by different communities."

State Public Schools

Canada like the United States has no national school system. Rather education is a function left to the individual provinces. Thus each province has its own school system and there are differences between them which have varied over time. This is especially the case in Quebec where Catholics and French speakers are a majority. The difference between provinces is greater than in the States because there is no Constitutional restriction separating church and state. Generally speaking, public schools in Canada have not required school uniforms. The English-language public schools as in America never had uniforms. Many private schools, however, do have uniforms.

Private Schools

Some private schools may have adopted English style school uniforms. This is because the the private schools generlly followed the Britih system and most private schiils in Britain had unifirms. We do not yet have much information on private schools in Canada. Hopefully our readers will provide some information.

Catholic Schools

Catholic schools in the States are type of private school, although a very specil type. The sitution in Canada id different, a kind of hybred because there is no Constitutional separation of church and state. There are some private Catholoc schools, but most are this kinf of state-church hybred. This situation is seen in several European countries, including Britain. The Catholic schools are especially important in Canada, particularly in French-speaking Québec. Americans will be somewhat confused by the fact that in Canada there were Catholic public (state) schools as well as Catholic private schools. Boys there never seem to have worn smocks as in France itself. We have received a variety of different commnents about uniform policies at parochial schools. One reader tells us that boys at parochial schools did not wear uniforms, at least in the early 20th century. We note boys wearing simple uniforms in the early 1940s. A Canadian reader tells us that school uniforms were adopted at Catholic schools, although they were discontinued in the 1960s. Another French Canadian reader writes, "Uniforms have been required in Catholic schools for years. You know, Brothers and Sisters were themselves in uniform and the first community of woman in New France went here at the first years of the colony around 1608. When an adult is wearing a uniform, he will require the same from children. A a matter of fact, uniforms disappeared in Catholic schools when Brothers and sisters were replaced by young teachers in miniskirt . When religious communities were at their peak from 1890 to 1960, there was a different uniform for different schools held by different communities."

Residential Native American Schools

America, Canada, and Mexico faced the issue of how to deal with Native American populations. America and Canada faced similar problems. A realtively advanced mostly European population and a small stone-age Native American people. Both countries settled uponm a similar sollution, a combination of separation (reservations) and assimilation. As part of that approach were residential school for North Americans. The idea was to give the Native American children th ability to suceed in the new world into which they were thrust. The Indian residential schools of Canada were a network of boarding schools for the native peoples of Canada. They were funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches, mostly the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church. The children were removed from their parents care, often against the wishes of the parents and taken to schools at some distance from their homes. At the time this was seen as an act of kindness. We are not sure how tese children fared in comparison to those who stayed on the reservation. That is important to know. Today there are some who describe this as 'cultural genocide'. When assessing that charge, one needs to consider in an imperfect world, just what wre the alternatives.

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Created: 7:02 AM 12/28/2009
Last updated: 2:16 AM 11/18/2013