Development Of Canadian Education
From the early 1600's to the mid-1700's, the Catholic Church controlled most formal education in Canada. Most colonists of this period were French Catholics who lived in the St. Lawrence River Valley. They set up French-language elementary schools where parish priests and members of religious orders were the main teachers. The Jesuits established a few classical secondary schools for boys. One of these, the Seminary of Quebec, was founded in 1663. It was named Universite Laval (Laval University) in 1852.
In 1763, Britain (later the United Kingdom) gained control of all Canada. After that date, English settlers established many English-language schools. These included Protestant elementary and secondary schools for upper-class boys. After about 1800, the British tried to set up a common school system for French Catholics and English Protestants in Quebec. But Catholic opposition killed the effort. In 1846, a law established separate Protestant and Catholic school systems for Quebec. During the 1850's and 1860's, Ontario, which was largely Protestant, developed an educational system in which taxes supported both public and religious schools.
The British North America Act, passed in 1867, brought about the federation of the Canadian provinces. The act left education under provincial control. It also guaranteed public support for religious schools in the provinces-including Ontario and Quebec-that had provided such support before 1867. During the late 1800's, elementary education became free and compulsory throughout Canada.
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