A study of the American influence on the development of Saskatchewan’s educational system in the early decades of the twentieth century. Alcorn traces the shift that followed provincial status in 1905, when educational policy began to move away from the Ontario-based, British-oriented model previously adopted in the territories. Between 1905 and 1937, he argues, ideas and practices circulating across the international boundary on the northern plains played a formative role in shaping provincial policy.
The book examines the impact of agrarian protest movements, populist and progressive democratic thought, and cross-border intellectual exchange on Saskatchewan’s schools and university life. Particular attention is given to University of Saskatchewan president Walter C. Murray and the adaptation of the “Wisconsin Idea,” illustrating the significance of north–south connections in institutional development. Positioned as a reconsideration of established narratives of Canadian educational history, the work explores how the language, purpose, and practice of education in Saskatchewan were defined during this formative period.
Notes adapted from the publisher's information.
