Elementary school or the "small schools" in the Ancien Régime
he "small schools" that were opened in France between the time of the Renaissance and the French Revolution inaugurated the lengthy process of bringing literacy to the masses. The phenomenon occurred alongside the tutoring and educational institutions provided for the elite. The development of elementary teaching and the small schools grew out of a need for religious instruction. Peter Fourier (1565-1640), a great teacher from the Lorraine region, believed that parents and the parish catechism did not provide children with sufficient religious training, particularly in the case of poor families. The small schools provided support for religious instruction, while also ensuring a lay education. Church people backed these schools while the State, pursuing other interests, remained essentially indifferent. Moreover, French opinion remained ambivalent with respect to the small schools. Despite everything, the idea that a minimum amount of education for all supports not only religion but also order and prosperity gradually caught on.
Fourier's dream to have elementary schools built and prepared specifically for that purpose, as in the case of the colleges of the time (secondary instruction for boys), was not necessarily accepted right off. In the time of the Ancien Régime, the small school was often held in the main room of the teacher's dwelling, unless a benefactor provided a room or house for that purpose. Occasionally, teachers and students had to settle for mere shelters. In addition to benches and a few rare tables, the basic equipment included the blackboard, which Fourier introduced in the wealth of teaching materials developed for group teaching in Lorraine. He also recommended that teachers in Lorraine use a form of boxed chair in order to create a respectful distance. Other pieces of school furniture included a cupboard, with some schools better equipped than others.The lay or religious teacher generally came from the region in which he taught. Female lay teachers, particularly married women, were less common. The teacher had no particular theoretical training. He learned his profession from an experienced teacher. It took some time to develop the schools Fourier wanted for training teachers. It was also common practice to employ the teacher for various parish or community duties. He might sing at church services, ring bells, visit the ill with the priest, keep records, etc. This gave him a certain amount of dignity, which was combined with the obligation to be pious and demonstrate good moral values. The teacher's salary was, however, modest. It depended on regional conditions: the taxes collected from the inhabitants, the number of students, the length of the school year, the existence of a foundation, etc.
In a society that was essentially agrarian, most of the small schools were rural. However, school attendance was higher in the urban areas. In the time of the Ancien Régime, it was possible to have more than 100 students for a single teacher. As a result, an adapted teaching method, particularly that developed by Fourier, and strict discipline were essential. Since the justice system provided for corporal punishment, it was no surprise to see physical punishment used in the school as well, although it was avoided as a general principle. Compared to the small rural school, the small urban school was more diversified: parish schools, boarding schools, private schools and free or so-called charity schools. Co-education was frowned on everywhere. If it was tolerated, measures were taken to keep boys and girls as separate as possible.
And now, what about the material taught and the results. To be continued... on February 25, 2003.