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Table of Contents
The Manitoba Public Schools Act was passed in 1890 which amended existing legislation regarding public education in Canada, particularly the provincial funding from sectarian Catholic and Protestant schools.
See the fact file below for more information on the Manitoba Public Schools Act or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Manitoba Public Schools Act worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
Background of Manitoba
- Manitoba is the fifth-most populous province of Canada.
- For thousands of years, the region now known as Manitoba has been inhabited by indigenous people.
- Before Manitoba officially became a Canadian province, the region was under the control of the Kingdom of England from 1673 until 1869.
- The Hudsonโs Bay Company governed a territory named Rupert’s Land where indigenous and Mรฉtis people in the Red River Colony established their settlements.
- In 1869, the the Mรฉtis people organized an uprising against the Government of Canada leading up to the establishment of a provisional government of the Red River Colony.
- The armed uprising is now known as the Red River Rebellion.
- After further negotiations, the Parliament of Canada passed the Manitoba Act on July 15, 1870.
- The Manitoba Act officially established Manitoba as a province of Canada.
The Manitoba Schools Act
- In March 1890, the Manitoba Schools Act was passed by the government of Thomas Greenway.
- It had a major impact on the education system as well as the existing socioeconomic situation in Canada.
- The Manitoba Schools Act cut off the provincial funding from sectarian Roman Catholic and Protestant schools, and established a tax-funded, nonsectarian public school system.
- The Manitoba Schools Act also made English the only eligible language to be used in schools.
- Consequently, this had caused tension between English and French speakers throughout the region.
- In fact, on March 30, 1890, another law in Manitoba called the Official Language Act was passed, which made English the only official language in the province.
- It also resulted in the decline of Catholic schools because many Catholic families could not finance their childrenโs schooling without government aid.
- Most Catholic schools retained their sectarian and private school status, but plenty were forced to become non-sectarian public schools.
- Since English was the only allowed medium in any school, French-speaking Catholics encountered identity issues as they pursued their religious education.
Thomas Greenway
- Thomas Greenway was the seventh Premier of Manitoba who served from 1888 to 1900.
- He was the Canadian politician to pass the Manitoba Schools Act, which is regarded as the most notable accomplishment by the Greenwayโs administration.
- At the time of his administration, Greenway was a Liberal.
- Even though a de facto two-party political system had been existing in Manitoba, Greenwayโs administration formally ended the non-partisan government of the province.
- Greenway faced much controversy in the 1890s for the passage of the Manitoba Schools Act, which fundamentally divided the Conservatives and Liberals on a national level.
Manitoba Schools Question
- The Manitoba Schools Question was a political crisis in the Canadian province of Manitoba that took place in the late-9th century.
- The crisis was caused by a series of provincial legislation passed between 1890 and 1896.
- The passage of the Manitoba Schools Act provoked national controversy and caused a divide among a number of sectors, including Catholics and non-Catholics, and French-Canadians and English-Canadians.
Wilfrid Laurier
- Considered one of Canadaโs greats, Sir Wilfrid Laurier served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911.
- Laurier won the 1896 elections which was mainly centered on the Manitoba Schools Question.
- One of the first things he set to do was to create a solution for the crisis caused by the passage of the Manitoba Schools Act.
- Laurier proposed a compromise, known as the Laurier-Greenway Compromise, stating that Catholics in Manitoba could implement a Catholic education if there were at least ten students in the school.
- Instead of reversing the Manitoba Schools Act, the compromise also allowed for religious education in Manitoba’s public schools for 30 minutes at most at the end of each day.
- The agreement still however upheld the single school system introduced in 1890.
- Generally, the French speakers and English speakers were satisfied with this compromise.
- However, many Catholics still opposed the agreement.
- Pope Leo XIII concluded that the compromise was the fairest decision with a decreased Catholic population in the province.
Aftermath
- French slowly regained its place in the Manitoba school system by the mid-20th century.
- In 1955, Premier Douglas L. Campbellโs government allowed French instruction in grades 4 through 6.
- In 1970, Premier Edward Schreyer’s government established French and English as equal languages of instruction.
- To support the development of French instruction, the Bureau de lโรducation franรงaise was established in Manitoba in 1975.
- In 1976, the position of Deputy Minister for French Education was created.
- In conclusion, the controversy that the Manitoba Schools Act in its core was discrimination towards French speakers has been actively dissolved over the years.
Manitoba Schools Act Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Russell Wilson across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Manitoba Schools Act worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Manitoba Schools Act which established a system of tax-supported and nonsectarian public schools that caused major controversy that even reached Great Britain.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Manitoba Schools Act Facts
- Quick Q&A
- Whatโs The Term?
- Lining Up Events
- Involved Leaders
- Laurierโs Take
- Fact Recap
- Weighing Pros & Cons
- Proposing A Compromise
- The Act: The Aftermath
- Campaign Poster
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Link will appear as Manitoba Schools Act Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 6, 2021
Use With Any Curriculum
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