Has School Really Changed? Orange Shirt Day and the Questions We Should Be Asking About Our Education System

Every September 30th, Canadians wear orange shirts to honour the survivors and victims of residential schools. It's a solemn day that forces us to confront the trauma Indigenous children, families and communities experienced in these institutions. But here's a question we don’t ask nearly enough—has the school system really changed since those dark days?

Sure, the context may be different, but when we strip it back, are there still parallels? Let’s peel back the layers and get a little uncomfortable, because Orange Shirt Day isn’t just about remembering the past—it’s about questioning the present.

Control and the Forced Curriculum: Are We Still Dictating Too Much?

We like to think our schools have come a long way from the days of rigid control, where children were forced to abandon their languages, cultures, and identities. But have we? The forced curriculum might not be as blatant today, but it’s still very much there. Kids are funneled through a system with a “one-size-fits-all” mentality, with little room to deviate from the pre-set lesson plans. Sound familiar?

Teachers are bound by government mandates, standardized testing, and expectations that often leave little room for creativity or addressing individual student needs. The control may look different than it did in residential schools, but it’s still control.

Where’s the wiggle room? Where’s the space for students to explore their passions or question the narrative?

Separation Between Families and Schools: Have We Bridged the Gap?

Residential schools were infamous for severing ties between children and their families. The goal was to isolate kids from their cultural roots. While today’s schools aren’t doing this with the same malicious intent, many families still feel that separation.

When parents don’t feel included in their child’s learning or their concerns are dismissed, there’s a modern echo of that same divide. Schools can often feel like an institution that functions outside of the community, rather than a collaborative part of it.

Do parents truly feel like partners in education? Are we bringing family voices into the classroom enough, or are we still deciding what’s best for children without fully listening to those who know them best?

The Great Disconnect: Schools vs. Reality

If there’s one thing that stands out in conversations with kids today, it’s how disconnected school can feel from their real lives. It’s almost as if school is a parallel universe where they’re expected to perform in ways that have little relevance to the world they experience outside the classroom.

Think about it—how often do we teach critical life skills, cultural awareness, or even emotional resilience? Instead, kids are drilled in concepts that may feel abstract or irrelevant to their personal journeys. Residential schools made Indigenous children feel "wrong" or "dumb" for being who they were. Today, many students feel a similar sense of alienation when their unique ways of thinking or learning don’t fit the system’s mold.

Violence and Trauma in the Classroom: Are We Addressing It Enough?

Beyond control and curriculum, one of the most urgent issues facing today’s schools is the rise of violence and trauma in the classroom. According to recent ETFO reports, 70% of elementary teachers have witnessed or experienced violence in their schools, often involving physical aggression from students. This staggering statistic highlights a systemic problem—our education system isn’t adequately equipped to handle the trauma students bring with them or experience in school. The lack of support for mental health services and trauma-informed approaches is creating environments where both teachers and students are left vulnerable. We can’t truly claim to have evolved from the harmful practices of the past if our classrooms remain places of fear and disconnection. It’s time to advocate for real change, ensuring safety, understanding, and healing are at the forefront of education.

So, What Now?

If Orange Shirt Day teaches us anything, it’s that reflection without action is pointless. It’s not enough to wear an orange shirt and post a supportive message on social media. We need to dig deeper and ask uncomfortable questions about our own classrooms.

Are we truly offering inclusive, student-centered education? Or are we still clinging to outdated, control-heavy systems that don’t serve our students’ diverse needs?

As we remember the painful history of residential schools, let’s not forget to question the systems we still uphold today.

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