models of Catholic spirituality the Sisters were ideal teachers of the Catholic religion, both on Sundays and each school day. The first three Sisters who arrived in 1921 were given the former CMBA hall for their convent, which was renovated, though never very comfortably since it often leaked. It was attached to the parochial house, only a short walk to the school. Not everyone in the district approved the change; some complained about the loss of teaching jobs to local teachers; others thought nuns would bring too much religion into the school. But many parishioners warmly welcomed them, and appreciation for them grew as students found that they could always receive help with their studies from the Sisters. One Sister recalled how the hours of extra teaching, stretched from 7:30 am. to 10:00 p.m. Father Smith’s almost daily inspection of the school kept both students and teachers “in line” if not “on edge”. Lads got their ears “boxed” for playing hooky; but some fondly remembered his spot quizzes and prizes. His in- tervention sometimes extended even to criticism of the teaching, which resulted in the resignation of one Sister. Parents, far from objecting to the strict discipline, fully sup— ported it.

Table 8:1 provides a comparison of the levels of educa- tion achieved by students in the five communities in the two

decades 1910-19 and 1920-29. Despite the reduced number of students who passed the

Prince of Wales College entrance exams in the 19205, more students went on to further education. The influx of graduates from St. Dunstan’s University may be explain- ed by several factors. Father Smith strongly encourged boys to attend S.D.U.; St. Malachy’s parishioners were generous financial supporters in the fund-raising appeals for S.D.U.; and, financial help was available for Catholic boys atten— ding S.D.U. through the Connolly Estate grants. The generally positive economic conditions at the time would

80

Table 8:1, Education Levels, 1910-2923

No. of students who passed P.W.C. exams:

No. of students graduated from school or

1910-19

47: 31 female 16 male

27: 17 female

1920-29

30: 19 female 11 male

50: 25 female

10 male 25 male

university beyond high school:

Institutions from which they graduated:

14: 10 female : 8 female 4 male 2 male

Prince of Wales College (lst. year):

6: 2 female 2 female 4 male 2 male

P.W.C. (2nd. year):

St. Dunstan’s University: 2 male male Union Commercial College: 2 female female

Dalhousie University (Law) 1 male Osgoode Hall Law School male

Dalhousie Univserity (Medicine) 1 male McGill University (Medicine) 1 male

Dalhousie University (Dentistry) 1 male Harvard University (Dentistry) 1 male

Nursing Schools: 14 female

also facilitate attendance at S.D.U., as well as at the other universities and nursing schools. These factors do not ex— plain the decline in the number of students who passed the P.W.C. exams in the 19205, however. The numbers of students passing these exams fluctuated from one year to another, seemingly without obvious reason; but a partial explanation for this decline in the 19205 may be found in a declining population especially in Twp. 27. Table 8:2 shows this decline for the two relevant townships as well as for P.E.I.

Moreover, in 1921 P.E.I. had the second lowest birth rate in Canada: 24 per 1000 of the population; it had the highest death rate, 13 per 1000 of the population; and the lowest

rate of marriages in Canada.24