The "Know-how" of the "small school" of the Ancien Régime
n the French "small schools" of the Ancien Régime a good religious education was given priority, along with the acquisition strictly scholastic skills. Learning to earn one's living took second place to learning to earn one's way to heaven. The teaching of the catechism focused on integrating piety in life through prayer, the sacraments and the practice of evangelical values. All instruction and the general climate at school were filled with religious sentiment. People crossed themselves with holy water as they entered the classroom, which was decorated with pious images. The class started and ended in prayer. Children attended church regularly with their teacher, and so on.Instruction in faith gave way to instruction in behaviour. The moral rules prescribed by religion had to be followed in order to maintain harmonious relationships with God, others and oneself. In addition to promoting a certain social harmony, the awareness of the rules of good conduct complemented religious moral values. Good manners were not formally taught in all of the "small schools", but they were in keeping with the spirit of a complete Christian education. Knowing how to live meant respecting the standards of politeness in effect, such as behaving properly at the table, being able to converse politely and blowing one's nose. The manual of civil behaviour written by Erasmus (1469-1536), published in 1530 and translated into French in 1537 was well known in the "small schools". At the start of the 18th century, it was replaced by a manual written by John Baptist de La Salle (1651-1719).
In the case of girls, the utilitarian mindset of the "small schools" left room for learning manual work such as sewing, embroidery, and lace-making. This needlework, which did not require any cumbersome equipment, was well suited for the limited space of the classroom. Such practical skills prepared girls to run households, as most of them were intended to do. It also gave them an opportunity to practice an honest trade that would eventually protect them against falling into a disreputable lifestyle. This was the philosophy of Peter Fourier (1565-1640) when he founded the first free elementary school for girls in Lorraine. Reformers of his ilk understood that basic education contributed to social promotion. The education provided in the "small school" prepared future mothers of families to become privileged vessels for transmitting Christian values.During the time of the Ancien Régime, boarding schools for girls or boys increased in number in the large cities. In addition to allowing students to board, these schools enriched their programmes with various scholastic disciplines. Although they were not equivalent to the colleges of the time, the boarding schools provided a great deal of cultural learning compared to the "small schools". Geography, history and living foreign languages were taught there. The boarding schools established a social separation in the panorama of elementary instruction. Since parents had to pay considerable sums, these institutions were only accessible to a very limited number of children. This takes us most definitely away from the category of the "small schools" and into another educational sector: elitist instruction.
For more information about the "small schools", in addition to the book by Marie-Claire Tihon mentioned earlier, we invite you to consult Les petites écoles sous l'Ancien Régime, by Bernard Grosperrin, published by Ouest-France, Paris, in 1984.
Are you interested in an overview of the elitist elementary school? To be continued... on March 25, 2003.