Conversation between Francis Codello and Hugues Lenoir
During the International Conference sull’Educazione democratica, tenutasi lo scorso settembre in Brasile, a Mogi das Cruzes (San Paolo), Hugues Lenoir, docente e ricercatore all’Università di Paris X Nanterre, si è incontrato con il nostro collaboratore Francesco Codello, redattore di Libertaria e studioso della pedagogia libertaria. Ecco il testo del loro colloquio.
Dopo Summerhill
Hugues Lenoir – Una prima domanda, Francesco: qual è l’origine of this current of democratic schools, where she was born and whose initiative?
Codello Francis - In its historical origin, we can say that the first ever democratic school Summerhill is to set up, created in 1921 by Alexander Neill in England.
Summerhill is the origin?
Yes, and after Summerhill, also in England, there was another important experience, a school that was called Dartington Hall School. I believe that, even without wearing the anarchist tradition of other experiences in education in England there is an affinity model school, libertarian party and the Democratic Party, which has developed since 1900.
This stream of democratic schools English has established itself enough in the world, there are other countries that follow in that pedagogical method?
Yes, I think so, certainly every country has its own characteristics, specific traditions. We can say that those schools have been developed based on the characteristics of the countries of origin.
And today, what are the most representative, most engaged in this movement for democratic schools?
Attualmente mi pare che sia Israele il paese dove il movimento è più importante. Lì ci sono ventisei scuole già attive, oggi, ma se ne trovano anche in Inghilterra e negli Stati Uniti e in Canada. Ce ne sono pure nella Corea del Sud e in Giappone, in Tailandia e in Indonesia, in Nuova Zelanda e in Australia, in India, in Nepal, in Costa Rica, in Equador, in Brasile e in Guatemala, in Cile e in Colombia, e, ovviamente, in Europa: in Spagna e in tutta l’Europa dell’Est, a Budapest, in Polonia, in Ucraina, a Mosca…
E in Francia e in Italia?
Be’, in Italia no, non c’è nemmeno un’esperienza di scuola democratica. In Francia io credo che l’esperienza più significativa sia stata quella di Bonnaventure, ma Bonnaventure è una scuola libertaria.
Per l’Italia e per una parte della Francia, ciò che spiega la scarsezza di esperimenti del genere è il posto che occupa la scuola laica di Stato, che in effetti ha svolto un ruolo importante nella lotta contro l’ingerenza della Chiesa e della religione cattolica, e per questo molti progressisti l’hanno appoggiata, senza preoccuparsi di sviluppare un modello alternativo, purtroppo confondendo il pubblico con lo statale.
Anche le pratiche delle scuole Freinet sono forse abbastanza vicine a quelle esperienze?
I think so, but not quite, because schools have not developed Freinet democratization and direct involvement of students in school life, in the sense of formulating decisions. In most cases, cooperation is still at the door of the classroom and invests the sphere of education but does not go to affect the management of school life.
Direct democracy and numbers
many students involves the movement all over the world?
In the world I do not know, but I can say that the size of ogni scuola non sono molto grandi e mi pare che questo sia un bene, perché permette una relazione diretta e di qualità tra le persone, cosa che non è possibile se hai troppi allievi.
Per questo c’è un rapporto tra la «democrazia diretta» nella scuola e le dimensioni della popolazione scolastica?
Sì, sì. C’è senz’altro un rapporto importantissimo, perché la partecipazione diretta è possibile solo in una dimensione limitata.
Quali sono i principi pedagogici di queste scuole democratiche?
Non mi pare che abbiano una teoria Educational reference, but are inspired by various concepts, such as Janusz Korczack and also to that of the anarchist Francisco Ferrer, by Carl Rogers as Alexander Neill. In the U.S. there is still a movement inspired by the school Ferrer. We can say that the mode characteristics of these schools are those that summarize briefly as follows: all decisions are taken with the participation of all who live in the school.
All those who live there, ie non-teachers, teachers, students and parents?
Yes, all those who work and study there, the parents do not always, but only in certain cases. About a questo primo principio ci sono differenze tra le scuole: in alcune si decide tutto a maggioranza qualificata e in altre si decide all’unanimità. Una scuola dove ogni decisione è presa all’unanimità, per esempio, è la Carl Rogers di Budapest; una dove si decide a maggioranza è quella di Summerhill. Ma io penso che il concetto che si svilupperà di più è quello dell’unanimità, che è applicabile dovunque: se si trova una minoranza che non sia d’accordo con una certa decisione, non fanno propria la decisione che si sta per prendere, se è fondamentale lasciano perdere.
Questo modo di procedere è indubbiamente libertario, perché rimanda a un contesto più ampio e più rich an issue that can not be limited to purely formal decisions. It is basically to make choices, but also to respect the interests of a minority. Action must be voluntary and free, which can never be imposed.
A minority abstains in a friendly way.
Friendly: we will continue to discuss, to resume the discussion, in fact. This is the first principle. The second regards the attendance, which is not required.
Teaching is not mandatory?
No, it is not. But even this principle there are different applications depending on location. I have been visiting high school self in Oslo, which was founded in the sixties by a group of independent students. In that school, for example, part of the courses, the program is aimed at all and it is mandatory, but the predominant part is optional and free. Each student becomes a program of personal study. There is a model of democratic schools very radical, inspired by the experience of Sudbury Valley ( www.sudval.org ) in Massachusetts: we find it applied in Germany and in several other countries, there is no compulsory attendance, there is a class schedule, everything is based on decisions made every morning, according to the needs arising from the collective discussion. This is the model radically.
More smiling, happier
I think the Congress of Berlin in 2005 voted this motion: "Students learn when they want, wherever they want, with whoever they want."
is the principle that summarizes some 'spirit of democratic schools. Students have the right to choose in complete freedom with who, what, when and how to study.
In the construction of curriculum, program, there is always a board of teachers or instructors who tell students why it is best to start with this or that?
Again there are different methods. You must know that the majority of these schools is not state: they are private institutions that operate according to its own rules. Who, however, wants to end recognition or diploma, must take an exam, not in school but with the state administration, reached the level of certification.
Generally the results of pupils in democratic schools are equally good, are better?
I believe that as in other schools, from this point of view. There are excellent results, some not so good, but here is the difference. In the end, what distinguishes the students of democratic schools is the fact that those who have lived their experience is probably more smiling, more open, more accustomed to dealing with others, to participate in decisions.
This means that democratic schools are not just teaching democracy, but also schools of social democracy.
Yes, this is one aspect. I think so: I believe that social practice is important to develop some sensitivity, but then you must consolidate with other principi, con altri valori che sono importantissimi, perché, come sappiamo bene, la democrazia non è tutto.
L’obiettivo chiaramente espresso di queste scuole, mi pare, e tu l’hai detto in un’altra occasione, è che esse fanno la differenza tra «essere» e «dover essere».
Io lo interpreto così: è la mia lettura di queste esperienze in Europa, ma non è sempre così esplicito.
Ovvero?
Credo che sarebbe meglio costruirsi una teoria basata sull’esperienza diretta di queste scuole, e la teoria che io propongo dice che l’educazione free, as I understand it, but I'm an anarchist, must educate 'to be' and not 'have to be. " In the sense that all the philosophies of education have the same basic principle, the idea of \u200b\u200bsealed, to bring man and woman. The man and woman must be like for them to be the State, as the Church wants them, or communism, fundamentalism, capitalism ..
They want a "new man" pre-planned and not an individual freely and independently? In those school systems comply with the individual to an authoritarian project built.
Yes, a project of authoritarian society. I believe that the importance democratic experience of these schools is to develop the potential of every student, every person. But teachers, parents, who live, compared, they learn to communicate. Anyone can decide what it can become and develop what has particularly sensitive, as an attitude, a project of life .. Because I believe that everyone, even the younger children, have a life plan.
What is the difference schools libertarian? These also express the idea of \u200b\u200ballowing everyone to build, to make such products to become "a man proud and free."
Yes of course, but the difference is that the libertarian schools have a larger project that also includes economic equality, social, cultural, and democratic schools all this does not make explicit. We could say that in these schools, the social sensitivity is grown or is acquired only through direct experience, but not in the context of a broader reflection on society. The fundamental difference is this.
This also means that schools no libertarian should be very careful so as to allow children to 'be' and not play standardization models, in other words, "force them" to become libertarians. If we want young people will be realized according to their potential, we can not give an opinion to advance their ideological becoming.
Exactly.
is a very difficult challenge for us, this.
Yes, it's true.
Bet on Freedom produced by freedom?
Yes It can be said, is what I think. Working with the current of democratic schools is important for anarchists who feel teaching, which address these issues, because you can play an important role. You can make these experiences are transformed and evolve from an assimilation of pedagogical techniques to democratic techniques and thoughts that produce and multiply social values \u200b\u200bof freedom, equality, fraternity, mutual help ...
If capitalism begins to copy
When working with the network of democratic schools is probably a function that is ideological and theoretical contribution of information to be transmitted to this current democratic is actually not very ideological.
Yes, it's true. But even critics. Used to always put a question mark, to doubt, so that who ever does not agree to live in an environment defined, closed, in a space that is not open to the world.
The risk in these schools, democratic capitalism is that being aware of their effectiveness, which applies the pedagogical principles to develop leaders, politicians, generals ...
Sure, sure. They are a tool, a means that is always kept with the more characteristics can be libertarian, not to allow the state and the owners take possession. This is what is at stake. .
There are other important differences between schools libertarian and democratic schools?
I think the democratic school is an approximation that progresses in stages, an evolution towards a libertarian model. It's like anarcho-syndicalism, which is used in an action to train people who claim to be and to be free. For anarchists is to be half the story, as I say, but also against the history that is nothing but a social construction of bourgeois thought.
is a time of transition?
Yes, not shut ourselves up in the ideology and always compare themselves with others, but always being careful not to end up trapped in the logic of the authoritarian world.
Another interesting thing in democratic schools, as I understand, is that yes, there are general principles, but do not ever say that the school must work in this or that way, each school has its own democratic way functioning: in a sense the movement of democratic schools must accept the principle of federalism. At the same time has the general principles, values \u200b\u200bwhich apply differently in each place, anywhere.
Yes, yes. How are
meetings between these schools?
When you meet there is a pre-established program, but was decided by the participants, the decisions are unanimous. In practice it is a very libertarian movement, which has no awareness of it, I think.
Participants are practical anarchist without knowing it?
Yes, somehow I think so.
Interview conducted by Hugues Lenoir
September 23, 2007 (Translated from French by Guido Lagomarsino)
Link: http://www.anarca-bolo.ch/a-rivista/332/25.htm
anarchist magazine
38 years No 332
February 2008