The origins and significance of the Toronto Technical School, 1891--1904

摘要

As the first Technical School in Ontario, the Toronto Technical School played a role that directly influenced provincial legislation which resulted in the formal recognition, public funding, and eventually, the inclusion of technical education in the public school system. A well organized local support network for technical education, as well as a highly supportive local newspaper, created an environment suitable for educational change that would serve as a model for the province of Ontario. Once officially included into the public school system, the roles of many of the original supporters of the Toronto Technical School were no longer needed. However, remnants of their initial efforts are still evident in our educational structures today in the form of both integrated technical programs within a high school and individual technical high schools. Although formally amalgamated in 1904, distinct schools within the public school system remain. The initial dream of a school dedicated primarily to technical education, as was the Toronto Technical School, still exists today, serving as a reminder of the significance of the Toronto Technical School.