School cars of northern Ontario : the origin and accomplishments of an educational innovation / by Mark Chochla. --

This study examines northern Ontario?s railway school
\ncar system which began in 1926. It is an account of the
\neducational service provided until 1967 and an assessment of
\nits accomplishments.
\nThe study concentrates on the early work of Alfred
\nFitzpartrick of the Reading Camp Association and James B.
\nMacDougall, public school inspector and principal of North
\nBay Normal School. These two northern Ontario school
\npromoters were exponents of the liberal educational and
\nsocial thinking of their day. They believed education would
\nhelp weave the social and economic fabric of the north,
\nassimilate the diverse ethnic groups and bring them to an
\nunderstanding of the values and institutions of Canada.
\nThe network of resident inspectors of ??New" Ontario led
\nby Dr. J.B. MacDougall began to understand the special
\nnature of the northern economy and settlement patterns. This
\ncadre of so called "District Men" proposed measures to
\ndeliver schooling to the north.
\nThe school car idea proposed by the regional inspectors
\nand promoted by Dr. MacDougall was adopted by Ontario Premier and Minister of Education, Go Howard Ferguson, in
\n1923. It became an integral part of the Education
\nDepartment?s broad policy of extending educational
\nopportunities in the province.
\nThe school car played a role in the political
\nsocialization of the children and adult students in northern
\nrailway communities. Teachers inculcated a common language
\nand common ideals of citizenship and encouraged immigrants
\nto become Canadian citizens.
\nThe school cars transformed immigrants into loyal
\ncitizens and provided immigrant and Canadian-born children
\nin the north with the basic skills and discipline needed to
\nsucceed in a changing world.
\nThe schools were accepted and embraced by the
\ncommunities they served. Northerners saw the school as a way
\nto ensure their hopes of independence and success for
\nthemselves and for their children.
\nThe school cars were an educational success because the
\nteachers, especially the early ones, were dedicated to the
\nprovince?s ??new curriculum.? The progress of children and
\nadult learners was rapid because they were committed to the
\nvalues of schooling. The inspectors, teachers, railways and
\ntownspeople were surprised at the early and continued
\nsuccess of the school car experiment.
\nChanges in the technology of railway transportation
\nreduced the number of railway communities. Competition from
\nmotor vehicle transportation further reduced the number of railway employees and the need for school car service. The
\nextension of highways and roads into northern Ontario led to
\nsuch a centralization of population in towns and cities that
\nthe school cars were no longer required.

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