How were Residential Schools different from other schools?

Residential schools were specifically designed to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture, often through coercive and punitive measures. Unlike regular schools, which typically focus on education and personal development, residential schools enforced separation from families and communities, aiming to erase Indigenous languages, traditions, and identities. The experience often involved harsh discipline, neglect, and abuse, creating lasting trauma for many survivors. This stark contrast highlights the schools' role in a broader colonial agenda, differing fundamentally from the educational purposes of conventional schools.