Children were rewarded by promotion through the grades and, increasingly, by the granting of prizes and certificates, although there was some debate on the wisdom of encouraging competition among children. The certificate illustrated here was presented by the City of Toronto Public Schools in 1887 "for... regularity and punctuality of attendance combined with uniformly good conduct of the pupil." The medallion was awarded for "4 years good conduct, punctuality, regularity, diligence." Regular attendance, punctuality and good behaviour were rewarded along with intellectual achievement. Educators believed that these qualities would ease instruction and facilitate learning. They also believed, however, that these characteristics were essential to social order and economic productivity in modern industrial cities. Orderly behaviour, it was hoped, would ultimately be transmitted to the entire society through the agency of the common or parish school.
Courtesy: Historical Collection, Toronto Board of Education