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EDUCATION IN UPPER CANADA

History is a race between education and catastrophe.

Review Questions

Vocabulary:
mystique, pertained, morals, liberals, inculcate, birthright, deference, zeal, repugnant, imbibe, bondman, undaunted, perverted, bluebloods, discriminatory, avaricious, benevolence, decreed, stipends.

1. Compare educational aims in the 21st and the 18th centuries.

2. What blatant educational discrimination existed in the 18th century? Why?

3. Why do you think Upper Canadians were prepared to accept so much for the bluebloods and so little education for the lesser orders?

4. "The country must make the university; not the university make the country." Who was right regarding a university, Simcoe or Dundas? Justify your answer.

5. What was the "unfortunate fact" about education in Upper Canada?

6. Explain: (a) insensibly imbibe these repugnant sentiments; (b) honourable banishment; (c) nascent state of Upper Canada; (d) joined the long list of Simcoe's public disappointments; (e) his fears were well founded; (f) British principles perverted.

7. Why was Simcoe so concerned about the lack of educational opportunities in Upper Canada?

8. Briefly summarize the main theme and the important details of this narrative.

9. Simcoe wanted "learned men of zeal and primitive manners" to teach in the public schools. Describe in another way the kind of teachers did he wanted.

10. Why do you think Hardy described the so-called gentry as 'worthless individuals'?

11. History is a race between education and catastrophe. (a) What do you think this means? (b) What did it mean to Simcoe?

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