When education first became prevalent in Canada, there was much difficulty in guaranteeing attendance. The rise of industrialism and the integration of the new family wage economy, working class families depended on every single one of the family members to contribute earnings in order to guarantee the families survival. During this time period there was also the development of separate spheres which heavily limited what women could and could not do for work. With this in mind, mothers often depended on their children to work, and sometimes this compromised their children’s education. Mothers made the decision if their child went to school or went to work, and it’s not surprising that they would decide for their children to work. Especially in working class families when having an education would not effect the career they would assume in the future.
