Frontier College – Frontier College – Serving Whom?Serving Whom?

Meeting the Challenges of Evolving Meeting the Challenges of Evolving Canadian FrontiersCanadian Frontiers

By:By:Carla Ralph, Noriko Sakamoto and Mike WindsorCarla Ralph, Noriko Sakamoto and Mike Windsor

BeginningsBeginnings““Education must be obtainable on the farm, in the bush, on Education must be obtainable on the farm, in the bush, on the railway, and in the mine. We must educate the whole the railway, and in the mine. We must educate the whole family wherever their work is, wherever they earn their family wherever their work is, wherever they earn their

living; teaching them how to earn and at the same time how living; teaching them how to earn and at the same time how to grow physically, intellectually, and spiritually.... This is the to grow physically, intellectually, and spiritually.... This is the

real education. This is the place of a true university." real education. This is the place of a true university."

Alfred Fitzpatrick, University in Overalls, 1920Alfred Fitzpatrick, University in Overalls, 1920

Alfred Fitzpatrick, Founder • Nova Scotia immigrant farmer’s

son• Queen's University graduate and

Presbyterian minister • Influenced by Dewey's ideas on

life-long learning and the education-democracy connection.

• Founded Reading Camp Association, 1899 (later named Frontier College).

• Goal – to integrate immigrants in camps into vision of a Canadian citizen

• Advocated for university extension programs

Laborer-Teacher (LT)• Main staple of

program-work all day – teach at night

• University Volunteers to set example and provide guidance

• Appeal to needs of new immigrants to encourage participation

Norman Bethune (LT): Attracted to physical challenges and service ideals, Bethune applies to Toronto’s Reading Camp Association to work as a LT in an Ontario lumber camp for 10 hours a day, 6 days a week and provide 1-2 hours of evening schooling.

High Ideals at the Start

“It is high time the great resources of nature should be used not to make the few rich, but to make the many wise” – Alfred Fitzpatrick (Walter, Spring 2003, p. 5)

View a video clip at: http://www.histori.ca/minutes/qt/10188/031_e_lo.mov

• Frontier College was based on idea that basic adult education could redeem an individual

• Through redemption the person would be a better person and more productive in society

• Education was for all society levels • Canada needs participation of all to

function properly and continue current values

Early Struggles• Started as Reading Rooms in Camps• Had trouble finding sponsors and funding –

needed to resort to volunteers• Distrusted by labor organizations – wanted

assimilation of workers into society• Distrusted by employers who did not want

employees distracted by learning

Solutions• Fought labor unrest with refusal to

participate – offer alternatives• Gained trust of employers through

hard working laborer-teachers• Gained trust of workers by

addressing immediate concerns while work alongside them – respect greatly valued

Canadianization “If these men are to be turned into safe,

sane and useful citizens it is obviously the duty of some organization to undertake the work of teaching them our language and our laws, and so to educate them that they will take an intelligent interest in Canadian affairs”

Frontier College appeal for funding (Walter, Spring 2003, p.9)

Questioning Original Motives• Frontier College was highly focussed

on developing Canadians according to Fitzpatrick’s own ideals

• Immigrants were sorted by their place of origin and rated according to work habits and personal traits

• Women were largely ignored – not seen as having any place within the work camps

Contextual AnalysisContextual Analysis

““Frontier College Frontier College has survived depression has survived depression and war, government cutbacks and and war, government cutbacks and

government competition, an ever-changing government competition, an ever-changing definition of work, and the shifting definition of work, and the shifting frontiersfrontiers of need from the labour camps of black flies of need from the labour camps of black flies

and long hours to the urban and long hours to the urban frontiersfrontiers of of grinding poverty and hopelessness” (original grinding poverty and hopelessness” (original

emphasis) (Morrison, 1999)emphasis) (Morrison, 1999)

Time of Transitions

• As labour camps faded, FC shifted its vision to include immigrant farm workers, and the urban poor.

• The FC’s ‘frontier’ shifted from actual camps outside of mainstream society to the ‘new frontiers’ faced by recent immigrants and those rejected by society.

Philosophy TransitionPhilosophy TransitionFrontier College - Our Mission Frontier College - Our Mission

Frontier College is a Canada-wide, volunteer-based, literacy Frontier College is a Canada-wide, volunteer-based, literacy organization. We teach people to read and write and we nurture organization. We teach people to read and write and we nurture

an environment favorable to lifelong learning. Since 1899, we have an environment favorable to lifelong learning. Since 1899, we have been reaching out to people wherever they are and responding to been reaching out to people wherever they are and responding to their particular learning needs. We believe in literacy as a right their particular learning needs. We believe in literacy as a right

and we work to achieve literacy for all.and we work to achieve literacy for all.(Frontier College Website)(Frontier College Website)

Initial Philosophy

Although there were elements of self-direction, FC practiced a Liberal philosophy approach evidenced by:

• Male dominated LTs of British descent.

• Teacher-directed curriculum.• Canadianization of immigrants.

Philosophical Transition As the college adapted to societal change, it

gradually shifted its philosophy to a Humanistic approach evident by these mission statements:

• “We value innovation and encourage people to bring us new ideas about learning.”

• “Students decide what they want to learn and how they want to learn it. Tutors help them do this.”

• “Training others in setting up similar programs or in developing their own.”

FC’s Student Centred Individualized Learning (SCIL)• The SCIL tutors students by incorporating

their life experience into learning situations utilizing students’ strengths not their deficiencies.

• The student, assisted by the tutor, designs a curriculum based on what the student wants to learn.

Common Philosophical Thread• Since conception, moderate Radical

undertones have persisting. • The social-economic disadvantaged have

been accepted and encouraged to academically, socially, and economically progress.

• The Radical dynamic has always been within the confinements of the dominate philosophy.

Socio-Economic Forces:Socio-Economic Forces: ““Beating the Streets” and the OddsBeating the Streets” and the Odds

“Now in its 98th year, the laborer-teacher program is just one of the many efforts undertaken by the 10,000 volunteers of the Frontier College, Canada’s self-styled ‘university in overalls.’ Among Frontier’s most prominent programs are roughly 700 ‘reading circles’ that encourage parents and children to work together on literacy skills; Beat the Street, which focuses on the homeless youth in downtown Toronto; and the Prison Literacy Program, in which university students work one-on-one with inmates of prisons and jails.” (Kuitenbrouwer, 1997)

Corporate Sponsors In 2004 Microsoft grants FC $104,000US

to close computer literacy gap – to prepare people for work and to become good employees:

“In taking part in the program like that, they’re also learning how to attend a program regularly and participate...To show up, to call when they’re not coming..” (Schick, 2004)

Other Projects• Prison Literacy Initiative – Across Canada• First Nations Education – keeping cultural identity

Reading Circles for Children and Families• After School Programs and Homework Clubs• Independent Learning for Adults with Disabilities• Labrador Community Initiative • Labourer-Teachers for migrant farm workers in

rural areas• And much more

The Final FrontierThe Final Frontier Has FC achieved its mission?Has FC achieved its mission?

“We teach people to read and write …” (Frontier College Mission)

• Generally, FC literacy programs have demonstrated the ideals of authenticity, self-direction, and empowerment.

• FC’s mandate attempts to make these ideals available to those marginalized like immigrants, inmates, or struggling inner city school students.

“… and we nurture an environment favorable to lifelong learning.”

(Frontier College Mission)• As workers, citizens, or just people

attempting read a driver’s manual, people need to be literate.

• Frontier College requires its LTs to get acquainted with the students before working with the students in designing unique individualized learning plans.

“We believe literacy is a right and we work to achieve literacy for all.”

(Frontier College Mission)

• In carrying out its mission, FC has demonstrated since conception that has lived up to its values in attempting to empower people.

• As society continues to change, FC has proven its ability and willingness to successfully adapt.

ReferencesReferences

• Basok, Tanya (2004). Post-national citizenship, social exclusion and migrants rights: Mexican seasonal workers in Canada. Citizenship Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 47-67.

• Burnet, Jean (1981). Frontier college. Winter, Vol. 3 No. 1.• Freeman, Matt (1994 -1995). Canadian group confronts distance and diversity.

Reading Today, Vol. 12, Issue 13.• Frontier college (n.d.). Retrieved June 3, 2005, from

http://www.frontiercollege.ca• Kuitenbrouwer, Peter (1997). The learning fields. Maclean’s Vol. 110, Issue 33.• Morrison, James H. (1999). Black flies, hard work, low pay. Beaver, 00057517,

Vol. 79 Issue 5.• Murphy, Matthew (2000). Authenticity, literacy and frontier college: a

philosophical report. Retrieved June 23, 2005, from Laurentian University websitehttp://www.laurentian.ca/mahumanities/english/events/practicumcolloquium/2004/reports2004_files/murphy_matt.htm

• Pearpoint, Jack & Forest, Marsha (1990). Beat the street: an urban literacy program. Convergence Vol. 23, Issue 1.

• Walter, Pierre (2003). Adult literacy education on the Canadian frontier. Adult Basic Education Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 3-18.

• Walter, Pierre (2003). Literacy, imagined nations and imperialism: frontier college and the construction of British Canada, 1899-1933. Adult Education Quarterly, Vol. 54, No.1, pp. 42-58.

• Welton, Michael R. (1991). Dangerous knowledge: Canadian workers’ education in the decades of discord. Studies in the Education of Adults, Vol. 23, Issue 1.