User:Avangelll/sandbox

= École Decroly = École Decroly is a school located in Uccle, founded in 1907 by Ovide Decroly. The school is known for its pedagogy based on the new education and active learning methods.The school is free, subsidized, non-denominational and includes nursery, primary and secondary schools.

Decroly pedagogy
In 1901, Ovide Decroly founded a boarding school for children with special needs, the "Institut destiné aux enfants irréguliers" [Institute for irregular children]. A small group of colleagues and friends (Doctors Auguste Ley and V.  Péchère, the Gérard, Ley, Michel, Snoeck and Schotsmans families) who had followed the creation of the school wanted their children to also benefit from Doctor Decroly's pedagogy.This wish led to the arrival of the "Ermitage" school (the former name of the École Decroly), which was located not far from the first boarding school. The schools collaborated closely and both were in the private education sector, due to the lack of official recognition. However, Decroly, supported by the City of Brussels, experimented with the idea of popular education, which paved the way for compulsory education.

The École Decroly, which had only seven children in the first year, developed and was organised into groups covering all levels of basic education.In 1910, the first secondary school was created. The year was also marked by the first printing of the "Écho de l'école" [Echo of the school], a school newspaper written by the children and printed with the help of parents.

The École Decroly was already different from classical education at the time because it prohibited the traditional use of textbooks and pre-established programmes. The orientation of the courses was "modern" (science and mathematics) and gave equal place to manual, sporting, artistic and social activities. Despite the interest shown by the progressive bourgeoisie, public opinion was unfavourable to these practices, which led to hostility in the teaching world.

The evolution of the school
In 1917, informal meetings with parents became statutory with the creation of the "Conseil des parents" [the Parents Council]. The council comprised two representatives per class and one teacher per grade (twelve in total). The monthly meetings were chaired by Decroly.

In 1921, under the impetus of the Child Health Section (???) and with the help of Amélie Hamaïde, a Decroly school was created in Florida.

In 1927, the École Decroly moved to the Villa Montana, located on Avenue Montana in Brussels. The neighbourhood combines forest and countryside. The surrounding working-class neighbourhoods were home to farmers, breeders and craftsmen. When it opened, the school was called "Pour la vie, par la vie à la campagne" [Learning in and through the countryside]. The school focused on education and officially changed its name to the École Decroly.

In 1930, the school finally has the full secondary education.

During the Second World War, the school experienced a difficult period. Several teachers joined the Resistance and kept an underground newspaper.

In 1956, the first "Journée Decroly" [Decroly Day] was organised. It allowed teachers to meet around a current topic.

In 1979, the school adapted the structures of secondary education to its pedagogy by offering the same courses that had been created earlier: observation and measurement (science and mathematics), association (in time and space, history-geography, and humanities), abstract expression (modern and ancient languages and philosophy) and concrete expression (drawing, graphic techniques and maquettes). It is a system with many options, which guarantees a wide heterogeneity of classes.

Pedagogy
L'École Decroly pratique la pédagogie active. La méthode du neuropsychiatre Ovide Decroly veut développer l'enfant avec ses propres paramètres (intellectuel, physique et social) en le considérant comme l'acteur de ses apprentissages; dès lors, il l'entraîne dans une démarche inductive (perception globale, analyse et reconstruction raisonnée). L'école s'axe autour des principes suivants :


 * L'enfant est considéré comme un tout, dans sa globalité. Les aspects intellectuels de l'apprentissage sont indissociables des développements physique et social ; ainsi donc des activités d'expression concrète et des activités sociales font partie intégrante du cursus scolaire, à tous âges ;
 * L'organisation de l'enseignement en quatre « centres d'intérêt » : se nourrir, se protéger contre les intempéries, se défendre contre les dangers, travailler et se récréer socialement . Chaque centre d'intérêt est travaillé toute une année scolaire par toute l'école, de la 3e primaire à la deuxième secondaire ;


 * L'apprentissage se construit ; l'observation sur le terrain (soit dans le milieu proche chez les petits puis au travers d'excursions et/ou de voyage) sert, chaque fois que possible, à l'acquisition par la démarche inductive de savoirs et de compétences ;
 * L'usage de cahiers et de panneaux muraux élaborés par les élèves remplace les manuels traditionnels. Les recherches personnelles ou en groupe sont fréquentes, l'enseignant restant le garant qu'elles sont cohérentes avec le processus d'apprentissage ;
 * Dans le cadre d'une approche globale et pour assurer la diversité de l'expression, chaque classe crée (scénario-dialogues-décors) une pièce de théâtre chaque année ;
 * Chaque classe est perçue comme un microcosme démocratique où - comme dans la vie normale - les choses se font et se défont : les erreurs ou fautes doivent être naturellement réparées ;