General Information about Residential Schools in Canada

Length of Stay

Students were expected to be at school until they reached the age of 16 years old.

In some instances Principals made specific request about certain students to either keep them on longer or discharge them.

If a student showed promise of trying for the high school examination or becoming a Domestic, a request was made.

Absences and Discharges

Often parents requested the early return of their children to come home.

Reasons could be of a death of a parent and the child is needed the help out at home.

Sometimes parents refused to send their children back to school as they believed something was wrong with the school as in the case of the Eskimo Residential

School Commission.

Illness and Death

Outbreaks at school often included whooping cough, colds, influenza, grippe, eye infections as well as ear, nose, tonsils and throat infections.

There were several outbreaks reported at different times, probably due to the overcrowding and the students sleeping in such close quarters.

In some instances schools had to be closed due to outbreaks.

Recorded Complaints

Evidence that students were being mistreated seemed to come in the form of students running away, which occurred at all schools.

Strapping would occur usually in front of other students as a means to deter others from doing the same thing.

Another indication that children were being mistreated was that parents did not want to send their children back to school.

In general there seemed to be numerous complaints about what the students learned or did not learn while in school.

Surprise visits by the Chief and Council of a Band to schools to investigate complaints were routine and allowed as stated under the Indian Act.

Often after these visits the Chief and Councillors submitted a complaint to the Department.

Principals did not like as they stated it disrupted the routine at the school and the students tended to act up.