The Saskatchewan CCF: Education Policy and the Rejection of Socialism, 1942-1948

Résumé

This paper seeks to examine the nature of the CCF's educational philosophy prior to and during its first term as the government of Saskatchewan (1944-48) and to compare that philosophy to the policy and practice of the Department of Education during that term. The purposes of this comparison are (1) to assess the extent to which the CCF in Saskatchewan was able to articulate an educational philosophy which took into account the socialist aspect of the movement/party's origins and (2) to assess the degree to which such a philosophy became implemented policy in the early years of the Department of Education under the CCF Minister, Woodrow S. Lloyd. Such an examination is part of a larger historical and political question which can now begin to be answered: to what extent were the policies of CCF governments different (that is more socialist) from other provincial governments committed to the maintenance of the capitalist system; what was the nature of those differences, if any; and what were the philosophical and political forces behind such differences?