Decroly and Manjón: Pioneers of Active Education
Decroly: School for Life
“The school should be for the child, not the child for the school.”
Ovide Decroly (born in 1871) was one of the most distinguished representatives in Europe of John Dewey’s educational ideas. He based his approach on the ideology of American psychology. His core principles include:
- “School for Life, Through Life”: This motto of his school, L’Ermitage, reflected his pedagogical conceptions of respect for the child and their personality.
- Principle of Freedom: A principle proposed by Rousseau and expressed by Dewey, upheld to this day.
- Educational Ideals: Educators should focus on the student’s actual life, taking into account their interests, and helping each student reach their full potential.
- Opposition to Rigid Discipline: Decroly opposed the rigid discipline of traditional schools, which suppressed children’s freedom and spontaneity.
- Organized School Environment: The school environment should motivate children, catering to their natural curiosities and offering activities suited to each individual.
- Homogeneous Class Groups: He proposed forming groups of 20 to 25 children in homogeneous classes.
- Active School: The school must be active, allowing children to express their concerns and trends through play. Classes should be like workshops.
- Observation of Nature: Decroly built on the observation of nature to awaken the child’s interest and intuition.
- Globalization Principle: He started with a global perspective because children have a comprehensive understanding of reality. Children’s needs are grouped into:
- The need for nourishment.
- Defense against external events.
- Defense against dangers and enemies.
- Solidarity, entertainment, and training (material and spiritual).
He followed an inductive development of analytical thinking through these stages: observation, association, and expression. His proposed method of reading instruction was based on phrases and words, focusing on hearing rather than just the ear, for the realization of this mental process. He preferred to work with young women teachers, believing they retained a childlike spirit in their treatment and work with children. The school environment consisted of open windows for air and sun, a cabinet with many educational games, and no special or movable platform for the teacher.
Father Manjón: Ave Maria Schools
Andrew Manjón founded the first School of the Hail Mary in 1889 in a Carmen (Granada). It gave free education to poor children of gypsy families in order to regenerate and integrate them into society. In a joyful and deeply Catholic environment, the teaching of religion was central to his pedagogy, and the teacher provided a service to God and man. He wanted to form perfect Christians.
He criticized traditional methods and used active ones, relying on intuition and trying to meet the needs of the child. Education was often taught outdoors, in direct contact with nature, considered God’s work. Games and manual labor were common for children of all ages, from kindergarten, preparing them for incorporation into a trade. He also created a training seminar for future teachers.
Ave Maria Schools are considered a pioneering experience of the New School and had a lot of social support. They spread rapidly throughout Spain and other countries, anticipating the Outdoor Schools that first appeared in Europe in the early twentieth century.
Pedagogical Principles
Education must be integral, starting from the cradle. It should be gradual, continuous, progressive, traditional, historical, organic, and harmonious. It should be triggered by both the teacher and the student, and be sensible, moral, religious, artistic, and manual, educating by example: “Mens sana in corpore sano” (a healthy mind in a healthy body).
Educational Practice
Poor children were admitted for free, from three years old until they decided to leave. They were grouped into sections according to different ages, sexes, and conditions, allowing for better-graduated education. Edutainment was free, active, and intuitive, with children in permanent contact with nature, isolated from the inconveniences of urban centers. Among the games used were:
- Number cards to learn arithmetic.
- Bowling, to teach counting.
- Holes, to teach the provinces of Spain.
- Hopscotch, to teach national history.
Works
The Catechist, Thought of the Hail Mary