British Columbia was the only province to enter Confederation with a non-sectarian school system, while private, religious or independent schools were financed by the parents of the students and the foundations that supported their institutions.

The objective of the Public Schools Act of 1872, which provided for education from the general revenues of the province, was "to give every child in the Province such knowledge as will fit him to become a useful and intelligent citizen in after years."

John Jessop, the first Superintendent of British Columbia schools, was a graduate of the Toronto Normal School. In 1874-75 he visited 60 schools, "...which required more than 3100 miles of travel - 1450...on horseback -1300 by steamer - more than 200 on foot, and 150 by canoe."   He noted that school houses were almost all of frame or wood construction, only two in 1874 were made of logs. The teaching staff were almost all untrained.