The one-room schoolhouse is a historical fixture of the Canadian identity. If anything, the legacy of these little rural centres of childhood literacy may not loom largely enough. According to new research by Devin Bissky Dziadyk, a PhD candidate with the Department of Economics, the expansion of one-room schoolhouses during the 1900s shaped economic history, and regional development and ultimately sparked the reallocation of labor out of Canadian agriculture.
Bissky Dziadyk wanted to understand if and how having access to a nearby school changed the paths that early 20th century rural children followed as they grew up.
“What I find is that children who had access to this very early form of education made dramatically different life choices compared to those who didn’t,” said Bissky Dziadyk. “They were more likely to move out of agricultural occupations, earn higher incomes as adults, and shift into a specific set of higher-skilled jobs, particularly becoming teachers or managers.” [Read more…]
