Life at School
Life at school was difficult for most students.
Punctuality, obedience, harsh discipline, European dress, and short hair were emphasized and Indian cultural pricatices and customs were forbidden and replaced with European ones.
The schools were run on a schedule and the students lives were ruled by the clock.
A bell or whistle usually marked the time to get up, to go for breakfast, to go to class, to go for lunch, to go outside, to do chores, to go for supper, to go to chapel, or to go to bed.
There were lots of rules and everyone was expected to obey them.
Every part of a students life was controlled by a rule, do your chores, be on time, no crying, no talking, no fighting, don't talk to the boys, don't talk to the girls, don't leave the yard, don't speak your language.
If the rules were not followed, there were punishments.
Students would get a slap, the strap, a spanking, time outs, extra chores, or be made to stand or kneel in a corner.
Students were sent to bed, confined in a room by themselves, denied food and event sent home.
But mostly they were shamed in front of their fellow students.
Students who went to residential school were taken away from everyone and everything they knew.
There was no one to comfort them when they were sad or upset.
They missed their homes, their families, their friends and all of them were lonely.
Many students wanted to go home and some tried to escape.
When some students arrived they were often the only one from their community and did not know anyone at the school.
They had to make new friends and it was often these friendships that became the only meaningful contact they had.
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