It’s textbook: controlling the narrative about residential schools in Ontario classrooms

Introduction. Between 1831 and 1996, 149 residential schools were established in Canada with the purpose of assimilating young Indigenous children by stripping them of their language, culture and history. However, residential schools have been historically absent as a topic of study in Ontario prim...

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Main Author: Connor White
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Borås 2025-05-01
Series:Information Research: An International Electronic Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://publicera.kb.se/ir/article/view/52249
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author Connor White
author_facet Connor White
author_sort Connor White
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description Introduction. Between 1831 and 1996, 149 residential schools were established in Canada with the purpose of assimilating young Indigenous children by stripping them of their language, culture and history. However, residential schools have been historically absent as a topic of study in Ontario primary and secondary school classrooms. Method. This study examines the way curricula and textbooks approved for use in Ontario classrooms by the Ministry of Education between 1998 and 2024 help control information taught to students about residential schools. Analysis. These materials are analysed to examine the evolution in the number of times residential schools are mentioned as well as the quality of these descriptions to better understand the culture of information control which surrounds the topic of residential schools. Results. These educational materials contain a lack in both quantity and quality in the description of residential schools despite a slight increase in the number of times residential schools are mentioned in these materials after 2013. Conclusions. These results reflect the effects of political information control on educational materials and its impact on the way residential schools have been relegated to the margins of Canadian history in favour of a nationalistic White settler colonial narrative.
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spelling doaj-art-a666791bc4154ea4a13cf5c8ab9a78cf2025-08-20T03:48:02ZengUniversity of BoråsInformation Research: An International Electronic Journal1368-16132025-05-0130CoLIS10.47989/ir30CoLIS52249It’s textbook: controlling the narrative about residential schools in Ontario classroomsConnor White0Centre de recherche sur les francophonies canadiennes, University of Ottawa Introduction. Between 1831 and 1996, 149 residential schools were established in Canada with the purpose of assimilating young Indigenous children by stripping them of their language, culture and history. However, residential schools have been historically absent as a topic of study in Ontario primary and secondary school classrooms. Method. This study examines the way curricula and textbooks approved for use in Ontario classrooms by the Ministry of Education between 1998 and 2024 help control information taught to students about residential schools. Analysis. These materials are analysed to examine the evolution in the number of times residential schools are mentioned as well as the quality of these descriptions to better understand the culture of information control which surrounds the topic of residential schools. Results. These educational materials contain a lack in both quantity and quality in the description of residential schools despite a slight increase in the number of times residential schools are mentioned in these materials after 2013. Conclusions. These results reflect the effects of political information control on educational materials and its impact on the way residential schools have been relegated to the margins of Canadian history in favour of a nationalistic White settler colonial narrative. https://publicera.kb.se/ir/article/view/52249Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in LIS, incl. curriculadecolonisation and epistemic injusticeInformation behaviour and practicesCurricula decolonisationResidential schoolsTextbooks
spellingShingle Connor White
It’s textbook: controlling the narrative about residential schools in Ontario classrooms
Information Research: An International Electronic Journal
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in LIS, incl. curricula
decolonisation and epistemic injustice
Information behaviour and practices
Curricula decolonisation
Residential schools
Textbooks
title It’s textbook: controlling the narrative about residential schools in Ontario classrooms
title_full It’s textbook: controlling the narrative about residential schools in Ontario classrooms
title_fullStr It’s textbook: controlling the narrative about residential schools in Ontario classrooms
title_full_unstemmed It’s textbook: controlling the narrative about residential schools in Ontario classrooms
title_short It’s textbook: controlling the narrative about residential schools in Ontario classrooms
title_sort it s textbook controlling the narrative about residential schools in ontario classrooms
topic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in LIS, incl. curricula
decolonisation and epistemic injustice
Information behaviour and practices
Curricula decolonisation
Residential schools
Textbooks
url https://publicera.kb.se/ir/article/view/52249
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