rench language and Catholicism. Therefore the British knew that to try to separate the Canadien from their customs they would have to start with the education. The English were desiring a state-controlled education system, while the Catholic Church felt the education system should remain under their control. The British felt the biggest benefit from abolishing the Catholics hold on education was the assumed language implications. Numerous attempts had been made within the assembly to answer this question however, it was not simple. In 1801 the Education Bill was passed, which established the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning. Its controlling body consisted of the governor, the lieutenant-governor, the Anglican bishop, the chief justice, and the speaker of the assembly. The creation of the Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning was seen as a threat to the survival of French culture. However the system did not advance very well and education was kept in the hands of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church was thought to be one of the most powerful institutions in Lower Canada, with regards to the Canadiens. Before the Conquest the church was a high authority figure in New France. With the Conquest and the Constitution Act of 1791, the Church was skeptical of the implementation of government. The Catholic Church felt threatened by its development because it was quite possible that the Canadiens would stray from the Catholic Church. They feared this system for it might steer away from the Catholic Church as being a source of power. The Catholic Church and their Bishop did not exist legally in Lower Canada, and for that they were unable to take any concerns to the courts. They had to sit passively by and watch as the English tried to develop new laws that would eliminate the Catholic Church for good. ...
