A Virtual Schoolhouse

What Was School Life Like?

• What Was It Like to Be a Student?
• What Was It Like to Be a Teacher?
• What Were the Schools Like?
• What Were the Schoolbooks Like?

What Was It Like to Be a Student?

Even when a community was fortunate enough to have a schoolhouse, there was no guarantee that every child would attend school. Some families could not afford the school fees, which were paid as taxes. Other families depended on their children to help on the farm. This meant that they might not attend school for long periods of time, especially when crops needed to be planted or harvested. Some children had to stay home in the cold months because they had no coat or boots to wear for the long walk to school and back!

Source
A log schoolhouse in Salmon Arm, B.C., 1915

Source
Bayview Schoolhouse, Bayview Country, New Brunswick, 1914

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