What The Schools Were Like
Taking Away Identity
The goal of residential schools was to strip Indigenous children of their culture. The children were ripped from their families and commonly separated from their siblings at the schools. This is because in residential schools the boys and girls were separated. Breaking family ties, even more, the students were given European names or numbers instead of using their given name. The children in the schools were forbidden to practice any Indigenous customs or traditions. If the students were caught performing any customs or traditions they were severely punished. The schools also had a "uniform". This uniform was European-style clothing that was hardly adequate for the weather. The clothing was made from cheap material and during the winter many children were not given articles such as mitts and hats. The students were also forced to have their hair cut, which was extremely hurtful due to the importance of long hair in indigenous culture. Students were not allowed to speak their native language. They were forced to speak English or French, languages many of them did not know. If they were caught speaking their language they were punished.
Poor Education
The education the students received at residential schools was much worse than the regular public schools. Students were taught with a poor curriculum for half of the day. These lessons were taught in either French or English depending on the school, this made it harder for many of the students to learn because many did not know those languages. The other half of the day was used to teach skills. The girls were prepared for domestic service and taught to do laundry, sew, cook, and clean. The boys were taught carpentry, farming, construction, general maintenance, and agricultural labour. Using the skills they learned, the students were forced to work unpaid jobs for the school. The girls had to do the housecleaning, while the boys did general maintenance and agriculture. These jobs were presented as "chores". However, in actuality the schools would not have been able to run without them.
Abuse
The children in the residential schools were never truly safe. Students were assaulted both physically and sexually. Many children were raped in these schools. Statistics show one in five students suffered from sexual abuse (Tim Naumetz, 2009). Physical assault was also very common in residential schools. The schools had punishments for when a student "misbehaved". Survivors remember being beaten and strapped. Some students were shackled to their beds, while others had needles shoved into their tongues as a punishment for speaking their native language.
Unhealthy Living Conditions
The living conditions in residential schools were hardly living conditions. The schools were overcrowded and had poor sanitation, which made it easy for sickness to spread. The food was inadequate, as was the health care. These factors plus the inadequate clothing the students were forced to wear, contributed to a horrifying high death toll in these schools. In 1907 a study conducted by P.H. Bryce found that 24% of indigenous children who were healthy before attending the schools, were dying in residential schools. Bryce also reported that 47% (on the Peigan Reserve in Alberta) to 75% (from File Hills Boarding School in Saskatchewan) of students released from residential schools died after leaving.
