Prévost orphanage
The Prévost orphanage in Cempuis (French: L'Orphelinat Prévost de Cempuis) was an orphanage in northern France best known for its experimental libertarian education under the direction of anarchist pedagogue Paul Robin between 1880 and 1894.
History
Following the
Robin became the supervisor of the Prévost orphanage in
The orphanage grew from 58 to 180 children between 1880 and the 1890s, including boys and girls between the ages of eight and fourteen. He integrated his family with the orphanage, treating his charges as if they were his children and vice versa. This lost him the affection of his children but endeared him to his orphans. His disciple and biographer, Gabriel Giroud, was one such orphan.[3]
Robin sought to provide an "integrated education" that combined intellectual and manual learning, both arts and sciences. Influenced by Charles Fourier's concept of la papillonne, he wanted students to have the freedom of moving between physical, intellectual, and moral tasks, so as to foster creativity.[3] He also wanted early education to be spontaneous, as if knowledge was transmitted by chance.[4]
Much of what is known about the Prévost orphanage's pedagogy comes from Giroud and the bulletin compiled by the students.[3]
References
- ^ McLaren 1981, p. 322.
- ^ a b McLaren 1981, p. 323.
- ^ a b c d McLaren 1981, p. 327.
- ^ McLaren 1981, pp. 327–328.
Bibliography
- McLaren, Angus (1981). "Revolution and Education in Late Nineteenth Century France: The Early Career of Paul Robin". S2CID 144554104.
Further reading
- OCLC 489692159.
- Demeulenaere-Douyère, Christiane (1994). Paul Robin, 1837-1912: un militant de la liberté et du bonheur (in French). Paris: Publisud. OCLC 31866008.
- Demeulenaere-Douyère, Christiane (2003). "Un précurseur de la mixité : Paul Robin et la coéducation des sexes". Clio (in French) (18): 125–132. JSTOR 44405502.
