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High schools in Surrey changed immensely between 1939 and 1945. War conditions brought quick and extreme population growth to Surrey, which led to a strain on facilities, including education. Education in Surrey had many issues at this time: with overcrowding, new schools not being built fast enough, a lack of permanent teachers, and a lack of resources needed for education and athletics. Students also had more labour opportunities. New policies, curriculum changes, school events, and extra-curricular activities were brought in to instill nationalism into students, and ensure their loyalty to Canada, as well as the military. For many students this time was fraught with hardships, particularly the Japanese students who lost their homes and their friends; this also had a profound effect on their schoolmates.¹

This topic is important to pursue, because the small amount of research that exists currently on schooling during WWII in British Columbia looks at the province overall or on more rural areas, rather than the Lower Mainland. Specific areas may have vastly different experiences. Additionally, the War years transformed Surrey’s demographics. The Second World War had a profound effect on Surrey high schools, with worsening school conditions and wartime school curriculum combined with changing school demographics due to the removal of Japanese students. The high participation in nationalistic activities is particularly interesting in combination with the close relationships that many students had to their Japanese peers.