New education

The new education is current a teaching which defends the principle of an active participation of the individuals with their own training. She declares that the Apprentissage, before being an accumulation of Connaissance S, must above all be a total progress factor of the person. For that, it is necessary to start from its centers of interest and to endeavor to cause the spirit of exploration and co-operation: it is the principle of the active methods. She preaches a total education, attaching an importance equal to the various educational fields: intellectuals and artistic, but also physical, manual and social.

Principles

New education is based on the principles of the Pédagogie activates and confidence in the own resources with each one. She preaches a Apprentissage starting from the reality and of the free choice of the activities. The various pedagogs of this movement express in various ways this need for supporting the personal experience: for John Dewey, one learns while making (“ Learning by doing ”), Freinet makes him echo by speaking about experimental groping . Decroly estimates that it is necessary to leave the centers of interests,

However, new education is not limited to a teaching by active methods coming to replace the lecturing. It estimates that education cannot isolate teaching from the academic matters of the other fields of the educational one, and attaches an importance equal to all the fields: intellectuals, artistic, but also physical, manual and social. It is a total education, where the medium of life worked out by the school is important.

The training of the social life is essential: since the “self-government” of Summerhill to the co-operative councils of the institutional Pedagogy, the respect of the child implies that it is recipient of the payments which govern its life.

This pedagogy was historically tested in places where the children lived permanently: orphanages or boarding schools. Adolphe Ferrière estimated in 1919 qu ' a new school was necessarily a boarding school located at the countryside. The Mixité was also regarded there as an essential point.

Nowadays, to achieve these same goals, it closely associates the parents with the life of the school.

History

References

New education takes as a starting point a long tradition of pedagogs since the Humaniste S of the Renaissance which already estimated that the child is not a vase which one fills but a fire that one lights . One will find in these pedagogs of the references to Rabelais and his Abbaye of Thélème, with Montaigne, Comenius.

It was influenced by the theories of Rousseau and their application by Pestalozzi.

August 1st

It is considered however that new education is born under its current form with the whole beginning from the 20th century.

First active schools

This movement, of international character, is marked since 1889 by the opening of the École of Abbotsholme, in England. Its founder, Cecil Reddie, calls into question the permanent competitive spirit in which are formed the British elites. It is followed a few years later by that of the school of Bedales, which poses the principle of the Coéducation of the two sexes: it is the first British co-educational school.

In France, Edmond Demolins takes as a starting point these schools to found in 1899 the École of the Rocks to Verneuil-sur-Avre; it will be a long time the reference for the practice of the active Méthodes.

These schools are boarding schools in the countryside which have as a common point to be addressed to an elite. They will be nevertheless experimental places which will visit and will be inspired many precursors.

Others try out the libertarian ideas in their foundations and Orphelinat S.

In France, Paul Robin first of all leads the experiment of Cempuis of 1880 to 1894, then Sebastien Faure creates in 1904 the Hive, a libertarian school. The European movement grows rich in 1910 with the opening by the Odenwaldschule by Paul Geheeb in Germany.

In Poland, Janusz Korczak creates in 1912 its first orphanage “Dom Sierot” organized in République children.

As of this time, these experimentation are based on work of doctors and psychologists who seek to apply the discoveries of science to education. In the United States, John Dewey opens in 1896 a laboratory of studies on the psychology applied for better including/understanding the Pédagogie, science applied of psychology.

In Italy, Maria Montessori creates the first Casa dei bambini in 1907, while the first school Ovide Decroly is open in Belgium. In Switzerland, Edouard Claparède, doctor and psychologist, creates in 1912, in Geneva the Institut Jean-Jacques Rousseau, school of the Sciences of education.

Impact of the First World War

The First World War mark deeply pedagogs engaged in these experiments. Some, like the French Célestin Freinet and Gustave Monod, are seriously wounded there, but, especially, each one becomes aware of the need for an education which is addressed to all in another frame of mind. The active methods are not enough. Henri Wallon will say in connection with this time:

“ It had seemed whereas to ensure the world a future of peace, nothing could not be more effective than to develop in the young generations the respect for human dignity by a suitable education. Thus could open out the feelings of human solidarity and fraternity which are with the antipodes war and violence. ”

In 1921, the international Ligue for new education is created, on the basis of charter of the new education written in 1915 by Adolphe Ferrière. During years which follow and until the Second world war, its congresses will gather the militants of new education, allowing exchanges on the practices and the research tasks of each one.

The majority of the personalities of new education take part in these congresses: Maria Montessori, Roger Bearing, A.S. Neill etc They publish in addition their work in the review of the league For the new era , which appears since 1922.

In 1919, in margin of the movement, Rudolf Steiner opens in Germany the first school Waldorf. In 1921, A.S. Neill creates the school of Summerhill, where it applies its libertarian theories. In France, Célestin Freinet creates the Coopérative laic teaching and founds in 1935 the school of Vence.

The Second world war stops the meetings and the publications of the international Ligue for new education. In Poland, Janusz Korczak finishes in deportation with the children of which it was occupied.

Cold war at the time current

After the Second world war, the movement loses much of its international dynamics: the congress “of the meeting again” of the international Ligue for new education in 1946 is the last. The increasing politization of the various movements in a context of Cold war will be right of these international meetings.

At the end of the Years 1960, this current, which asserts since its origins a taking into account of work in social sciences, is strongly influenced by the Psychanalyse. It takes as a starting point the psychotherapy to define the institutional Pédagogie then of the “dynamic of the restricted groups”, and the “non-directive method” of Carl Rogers.

Criticisms

In the Years 1970, the doctrinal application, sometimes , work resulting from the Psychanalyse could lead to excesses like the “psychanalysme” denounced by Robert Castel.

Without disavowing the total interest of the psychoanalytical theories, they are in general regarded in XXIe century as relatively orthogonal with the act of education, or at least like requiring a good amount of humility in their practical application by the pedagogs. These through remain however one of criticisms major made with new education, the other being the apparent scorn of the movement for the taught knowledge.

New education, considering with mistrust notes and punishments, is frequently regarded as not very effective in the acquisition of the knowledge, and privileging blooming initially rather than the performance.

Recent studies in France however show an positive assessment as regards the capacities and the results of these pupils at the time of their academic works and their professional life, as well in the schools Freinet as in the new schools “”, Montessorri or Steiner.

Concerning the discipline, one of these studies indicates: As opposed to what one often hears, I saw a school where each one is in its place, without any confusion of the roles: the Masters are not equal pupils. But this rigidity with a corollary: flexibility, reactivity, right to recover its rights… I was also struck by the importance of work: to learn, he is necessary to start to it, it is necessary to engage, nothing does not come easily. But each one is actor, profit and owner of his work, and it is from there that comes the recognition and engagement.

The influence on the national education systems

Americas

The USA

With the the United States, the major figure of new education is John Dewey, which insists on the essential place of the school in the formation of an democratic society. It inspired the teaching reforms implemented in the Années 1900, under the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt.

In 1957, the launching of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet caused a true traumatism with the the United States and a questioning of the education system progressist. A whole of reforms of the American school, carrying mainly on the primary , was decided, of which in particular that of the modern Mathématiques.

The influence of Dewey remains nevertheless notable today.

Quebec

The Quebec profits from a network of alternate schools integrated into the public system of which first was the founded school Jonathan in 1974.

Since 2000, the Training program of the Québécois school bases teaching on the experimentation and the Pédagogie of project. This program is set up starting from primary school education and must gradually extend to all the cycles.

Europe

France

In France, with the Release, new education has the wheel in motion, as well by the reforms undertaken in the education system as by individual initiatives: many new, public and deprived schools, are created.

The commission Langevin-Walloon prepares a plan of reform of the French education system while being based on the work completed by the council of the Résistance, but the beginning of the Cold war stops this dynamics. Henri Wallon leaves the government with the other communist ministers, and the Plan Langevin-Walloon is buried.

The teaching movements are radicalized, GFEN remaining close to Communism while Célestin and Élise Freinet is detached some. One succeeds an antagonism between movements which however defend of the similar educational theories. This cleavage perdure nowadays in spite of the creation of a Committee of connection of the teaching movements in 1985, with a Movement Freinet especially present in the primary education, the rather active GFEN on the training level of the teachers, and the private schools ANEN or Montessori kept away of these movements.

Some practical of new education nevertheless were generalized, in particular those aiming at a training starting from reality. School camps, manual work as artistic education are now currency, especially in primary school education. The co-education was founded in the years 1960. On the other hand, the installation of a time for a personal free labor, on the basis of the real interests of the pupil, never really passed in school manners, in spite of the Loi Jospin of 1989 placing “the child in the center of the system”.

Germany

In Germany the teaching reflection has a long tradition which appears by the foundation at the XIXe century of teaching Universities (Pädagogische Hochschulen) in all the university towns. It is within this framework that new pedagogy (Reformpädagogik) developed. The pedagogs who influenced new pedagogy in Germany the most are Georg Kerschensteiner and Maria Montessori. It is also advisable to quote the anthroposophe Rudolf Steiner and its Waldorfschulen. The influence of new pedagogy is particularly increased since 2000, date on which various evaluations (Programme RAMMED) revealed a not very powerful of school system and university level German. It is necessary to announce the efforts of the German government to start again a teaching discussion in all the fields of the company, in particular by encouraging journalists known to turn of documentations on the schools in which the teaching experiments are most promising

Principal pedagogs

Among the principal pedagogs who contributed to illustrate the movement of new Education, one can quote:

Jean Itard (1774-1836)
Edouard Séguin (1812-1880)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778): He affirms that the child is in the center of the act to learn. Always according to him, the company denatures the child, i.e. the formation undergone by the child moves away it from his natural state;
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827): Influenced by Rousseau, it is mainly occupied to create and direct rural schools in underprivileged mediums. It develops and applies the principles of a concrete and graduated education;
Friedrich Fröbel (1782-1852): Influenced by Pestalozzi, it sticks to develops a pedagogy which supports the harmonious psychological development in the child. Creator of the first Kindergarten, his pedagogy was perceived as socialist have-nun and , and was prohibited in several German states;
Paul Robin (1837-1912): influenced by the Marxism, he affirms that education must at the same time train the worker and the citizen. It wishes that the pupils acquire a scientific approach of education. Feminist, it believes that a scientific management of the birthrate, coupled to an education being based on technology, will bring notable improvements to mankind. ;
Georg Kerschensteiner (1854-1932);
Francisco To shoe (1859-1909);
John Dewey (1859-1952): It is the first to approach teaching and the training under a scientific angle. Consequently, the effects of each gesture posed must be analyzed to release some from the educational principles;
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925): According to Steiner, the teaching, as given in the German schools, calls too upon the rational side of the person. He consequently proposes a way which also calls upon the spiritual side of the person in the respect of the doctrines Anthroposophique. This way is also in charge with mysticism and occultism;
Maria Montessori (1870-1952): Its experiment with children known as delayed reveals to him that the methods of traditional teaching at the beginning of the XXe century are ineffective. It decides to develop a teaching approach based on the observation and the experiment;
Ovide Decroly (1871-1932);
Edouard Claparède (1873-1940);
Janusz Korczak (1878-1942);
Adolphe Ferrière (1879-1960);
Roger Bearing (1881-1973);
Alexander Sutherland Neill (1883-1973): Being made treat in a hospital following wounds of war, Neill discovers the approach of a psychiatrist in a center dedicated to lunatics. This approach encourages it to re-examine the relation between the Master and the pupil, which leads it to found a school of democratic style;
Anton Makarenko (1888-1939);
Célestin Freinet (1896-1966): After wounds of war having severely decreased its lungs, it decides to maintain sanitary arrangements particular in its class. This choice leads it to create the first student newspaper. It also actively makes take part the pupils in the training of their colleagues;
Carl Rogers (1902-1987): Humanistic psychologist; its multiple contributions with pedagogy cannot be summarized in some sentences. The reader is requested to read the article to look further into its contributions.

New education and other teaching movements

Scouting

Popular education

Steiner pedagogy

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Movements of new education nowadays

Among the movements claiming new education, let us quote:

AFL : French association for the Reading
ANEN: National association for the development of New Education, gathering a half dozen schools.
CEMEA: Centres of Drive to the Methods of Education Activates
GBEN: Group Belgian New Education.
GFEN: French Group of New Education.
FIMEM: International federation of the movements of modern school - pedagogy Freinet
Pedagogy Montessori
Pedagogy Steiner-Waldorf

The GFEN, the GBEN and other groups national constitute since 2001 a global area network: the BOND (international Bond of new education), resurgence of the international Ligue for new education creates in 1921.

Sources

Robert Skidelsky, English new Schools , Maspero, 1972.
White Harvaux and Marie-Aimee Niox-Castle, new Education at the school. Boulogne 1947-1956 , ED. Scarab3ee, 1958
Antoine Savoye, new Education in France, of its irresistible rise to its impossible perpetuation (1944-1970) , 2004

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