School days in the ‘old days’

By Joan Janzen

In just one more week students will be returning to school. While noticing parents busy shopping for school supplies, new clothes, shoes and lunch kits, two photos displayed at the Kindersley Museum caught my eye.

Both photos were taken in the 1930’s. Notice the photo of the barefoot children on the steps of a school located near Yorkton, Sask. If the weather was warm, shoes were not considered a necessity. Coveralls served as school attire for the boys, and everyone had identical haircuts which they had received while sitting on a kitchen chair at home.

The photo of children carrying lunch pails was taken on the prairies in the province of Manitoba. The caption noted the students were ready for their 12-mile walk to school. Long before recycling became a popular trend, these students were reusing honey, peanut butter and syrup pails to carry their school lunches, or to pick berries after school.