Saint Peter Fourier, a pioneer of primary education
n France, and particularly in Lorraine, elementary school instruction started to bloom at the end of the 16th century as a result of the pedagogical views of Peter Fourier (1565-1640). It should be noted that this period, which was marked by the humanistic movement and the Roman Catholic Reform was propitious for educational initiatives. Starting in 1613, the movement initiated by Fourier reached Champagne, the region next to Lorraine. A famous native of Champagne who was just as passionate about education, Marguerite Bourgeoys, put Fourier’s views to good use in 1658, when she founded the first school in Ville-Marie, which later became Montreal, in Canada.
Peter Fourier came from Mirecourt, in Lorraine. He was known as a brilliant, cultivated and fervent man who was attentive to others. He took his vows as a Canon Regular at Saint-Augustin in 1587 and was ordained in 1589. About ten years later, he was made parish priest of Mattaincourt, a rural area where the school situation was of great concern to him. The absenteeism of the students and the resulting vagrancy pushed him to develop pedagogical methods that have survived through the centuries and still apply today. In other words, he was firmly convinced that the initial school experiences of an individual remained decisive throughout his life.One of Fourier’s first initiatives was to denounce mixed classes. The horrific tale of a young girl who had been assaulted by a school regent confirmed his belief in the justness of creating schools reserved for girls, who would be taught only by women. This conviction appealed to a devout young woman, Alix Le Clerc (1576-1622), a citizen of Lorraine who cannot be dissociated from the educational work of Peter Fourier. In 1597, the two compatriots founded a religious community devoted to teaching. Initially, the group consisted of Alix Le Clerc and four companions who opened a first school in Poussay in 1598. Although this may look like a mundane event, it was the start not only of elementary education for girls in Lorraine but this schooling was free for both poor and rich alike.
The teaching community founded by Peter Fourier and Alix Le Clerc came to be known as the Congrégation Notre-Dame (Congregation of our Lady), which is not to be confused with the Congrégation de Notre-Dame (also Congregation of Our Lady, in English), founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys in Montreal. The particle de in the name is the first difference between the two teaching congregations. Moreover, following lengthy legal proceedings in Rome, the sisters of the Congrégation Notre-Dame came to be called the Canonesses of Saint Augustine. This new community, which was devoted to the education of young girls, inspired Fourier to found the Congrégation de Notre-Sauveur (Congregation of Our Savior), which was made up of Canons of Saint-Augustine, who pursued the same goals as the canonesses, but with young boys.
Fourier also came up with the idea of founding schools specifically for teachers who would in turn work in "small schools" in outlying areas. In this way, young people everywhere could receive the essential rudiments of education from qualified individuals. It is clear that, for Fourier, the training of teachers was essential. He took charge of this duty with the pioneers of the Poussay school, instructing them with respect to the subjects to be taught and the methods to be used. His pedagogical system is essentially based on the knowledge he inherited from the Jesuit teachers of his youth, to which he added a personal touch. The next history column will deal with the teaching methods Peter Fourier promoted for the education of children.
To be continued... on January 28, 2003.