Collegiate | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Collegiate

A collegiate, or collegiate institute, is a type of SECONDARY SCHOOL originally required to meet certain minimum standards on the number and qualifications of its teachers and its student enrolment in the classics.

Collegiate

A collegiate, or collegiate institute, is a type of SECONDARY SCHOOL originally required to meet certain minimum standards on the number and qualifications of its teachers and its student enrolment in the classics. From the 1870s, high schools were separate from collegiates, which had curricula based on the classical model and were intended for students expecting to attend university and enter professional careers. The distinction stems from the 19th century work of Egerton RYERSON to provide common schools for the general public as well as highly academic secondary schools for those intending to attend university. By the second half of the 20th century, collegiate institutes became markedly less classical, but continued to reflect a curriculum model aimed towards university and professional education. Later in the 20th century, all high schools were able to offer a common curriculum and thus collegiate institutes became, in effect, high schools under another name. The term no longer distinguishes one type of secondary school from another, except as a reflection of the school's historical roots.