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Breaking the Cycle of a Flawed Education System

By Rania Robertson (she/her), Founder & Director at Robertson Tutoring


Introduction & History

School is an integral part of our society, but behind it lies a dark secret. In school, we learned basic math operations, the foundations of reading and writing, and the basics of science and social studies. One thing we were never taught is the history of the school system itself. Few people have stopped to wonder why we spend so much of our time at school between the ages of four and twenty-two, and why our school systems exist as they do today. It’s no surprise that few of us stop to question it… in fact, it was designed so that no one would give it a second thought.


In recent years, an infamous quote by John D Rockefeller has circulated in academic circles: I don’t want a nation of thinkers. I want a nation of workers. Rockefeller was an American philanthropist who founded the General Education Board (GEB) in February 1902. He contributed $108 million USD to the organization, whose goal was to create a uniform education system across the United States. Previously, education systems supported the needs of varying cultural contexts and geographical conditions across the country. Rockefeller, however, wanted a system that supported the capitalist needs of the industrial revolution: workers who followed directions without asking questions.


The Canadian Context

The timeline of the education system in Canada is similar to that of the United States. When Europeans first colonized the land, education was presented differently in each community. Some focused on religious education for children who aspired to be clergy members. Rural communities focused on farming and household skills, preparing children to thrive in those areas. Oftentimes, parents opted to keep their children at home. 


In the 19th century, politicians began advocating for a government-run education system. These individuals were referred to as “school promoters”. They argued that a mandatory, uniform school system would create “appropriate modes of thought and behaviour [in] children”. Political rebellions, the existence of Indigenous communities, and the rising number of immigrants on the west coast were all threats to the upper class vision of an ideal society. Just as Rockefeller did in the United States, the Canadian “school promoters” rushed to implement a system where children left their ability to think critically and learned to obey orders. 


The Silenced Voices

A history of the education system would be incomplete without an examination of the treatment of minorities. Immigrant populations in Canada faced increased barriers to education for centuries. For example, Asian communities in British Columbia were subjected to additional examinations in schools when determining their “intelligence” and ability to learn.


In Canada and the United States, Black students faced segregation, and later, violence when trying to access equal education opportunities. For example, when six-year-old Ruby Bridges became the first Black student to attend a southern all-white school in 1960, she faced such violence and threats from adults in the community that she had to be escorted to school by federal officers each morning.


Across the continent, Indigenous populations were forced into residential schools, where children were separated from their families, treated with extreme cruelty, and forced to comply with values that were not their own. The goal of these schools was to eradicate the Indigenous population by assimilating them into white society.


Throughout history, minority populations have faced extreme cruelty as a result of the school system. The system was designed by and for the majority, and any trace of difference had to be eliminated in order to facilitate compliance with the system. Unfortunately, these events did not take place as long ago as many think, and our children attend school in this same system today. 


Even with schools and ministries claiming to celebrate diversity, difference continues to be punished. Neurodivergent students are shamed for having different needs, and although schools have a legal obligation to accommodate every child, they are often denied proper support and, instead, labelled as “stupid” or “incapable” and given poor grades. People of colour report ongoing discrimination from peers and educators in schools, and reports are treated with indifference and band-aid solutions. Representation of non-white cultures is still only seen in margianalised settings like the optional “Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices” course offered as an alternative to the grade eleven English course. 


The dark history of oppression in and beyond the school system is only starting to surface. Many secrets have been kept over the years, including the systemic erasure of Indigenous peoples throught the residential school system. Most adults today never learned about Indigenous peoples or their oppression; when they learn about residential schools, many are shocked to hear that the last one closed in 1996. The founders of the system never wanted us to question it, and many of us continue to comply.


Asking Questions

At Robertson Tutoring, one of our favourite questions is “what do you think?” When discussing history or political situations with students, we give them facts and show them perspectives from different sources. Then we ask what they think, and their answers amaze us every time. It is in children’s nature to examine things critically, and because of the system in which we’ve all grown up, it’s often the youngest minds that are the most critical. The human mind is a brilliant tool, and we only stop questioning and thinking critically when it’s instilled in us not to think.


As educators, we have moments that stick out for us when interacting with children. One of mine happened when a little girl came to me in tears after the war broke out in Gaza. She had seen footage of children being killed, and she was asking “Why is this happening?” I didn’t have a good answer for her – after all, one cannot justify nor explain the death of children. I shared some of the news and the perspectives with her, and told her that the situation was complicated. She looked at me and said “It’s not complicated. Why don’t they just share the land? They shouldn’t kill people.” She was right. We’re fed so much intentionally-designed information on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s helpful to hear what children are saying because they speak from the heart, and not as a servant to the system.


A Better World

We are all products of an education system that was designed to destroy culture, individuality, and humanity. We were taught not to question. We were taught to accept orders, politics, and the status quo just because they exist. But how many of us stop to ask why? How many of us stop to ask how our societies would look if we challenged what exists? As parents and educators, we owe it to the next generation to think about these questions.


When working with kids, I will always teach them that key question: why? It’s such a simple word, but it’s one that we were taught not to think. That may have been Rockefeller’s agenda, but it’s not mine. I don’t want a world of workers; I want a world of thinkers. 


Learn more about our philosophy at www.robertsontutoring.ca/about, and follow along on our socials for more information and tools. 


We’d love to hear from you! If you have thoughts, leave a comment below, or feel free to contact us directly. 


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