Remembrance Day, teachings of peace

A special meaning for education

Today is not only the occasion to pay homage to all those who have risked or sacrificed their lives to protect and defend the nation, but also an invitation to highlight and reflect on the ideals so many people have fought for. This special day also invites us to think about the ways that those ideals have found their way into today’s practices for equity and inclusion in the context of education.

We want to highlight the hard work of former teachers who were sent to combat, and their expertise and willpower in the face of the devastation of World War I that have led to remarkable changes in pedagogy as we know it.

In the traumatic post-war era, former teachers entirely rethought their relationship with education.
This movement, known as Education Nouvelle in France, or alternative pedagogy in Quebec, imagined education as a way to prevent more wars by teaching future generations notions of peace, cooperation and mutual understanding.

Post-war hardships

Many teachers returned from combat with deep physical and psychological scars, which affected their teaching methods.

-> Loss of voice, respiratory issues and limited movements are trauma symptoms shared by many World War I veterans

These hardships encouraged the need to reflect on pedagogy and the necessity to rethink accessibility in educational institutions, taking into account both the physical and psychological needs of the students and of the teachers themselves.

Listen (FR)

Guerres et éducation nouvelle : épisode 3/4 du podcast Une histoire des pédagogies nouvelles | France Culture

A new model of education emerges

-> Making room for movement

Some teachers implemented open classrooms, allowing for a better flow, and organized the space so as to make it easier for all to move around. In cases where the architecture did not allow for such adaptations, they at times would move their class outside, where students and teachers alike could move as they wished and include their natural surroundings in their learning journeys.

-> Living and learning together

Group activities, such as community gardening, were not only practical exercises but also powerful tools for learning to respect the experiences and contributions of each individual.

-> Adapting approaches

Various modes of communication, including images, writing and printing presses (introduced by Freinet) allowed everyone to express themselves authentically, thus catering to the needs of the students and teachers that were experiencing challenges with oral or written expression.

Read

«Révolution école», après la Première Guerre mondiale, l’utopie d’une autre pédagogie | Slate.fr

New Education | EHNE

These novel initiatives, anchored
in a desire to create a more cooperative
and inclusive environment, continue to influence today’s educational practices.
They remind us of the importance
of building spaces and pedagogical approaches that respect individual differences and promote equal opportunities.

Educational practices for the future

By taking the time to remind ourselves of this heritage, we can highlight the ideals of those who were sent to combat.

Their ideas remind us that education is not only a set of practices or methods, but a societal project that reflects strong values of justice, inclusion and mutual respect.

AQEIPS salutes our veterans, their families and caregivers, as well as everyone who continues to dedicate their lives to a more inclusive and equitable world for all.