La création de l’enseignement professionnel agricole en France (1848-1880)

Résumé 0

In 1848 the French Government introduced the professional teaching of agriculture at three levels, to meet the requirements of agriculture : i) school farms to turn out skilful workers ; ii) regional schools to train principale of farms, owners or farmers ; iii) a national Agronomie Institute to prepare teachers and highly qualified popularisers. This organisation corresponded with a pattern of agricultural development called the « English model », i.e. an agriculture based on large farms employing wage-earners. In addition teaching was directed to retaining farmers on the land, to prevent them from joining the rising workers’movement. In 1870 the number graduating annually from such agricultural schools was only 390. To gain the support of farmers the Third French Republic established practical schools for those with a small or medium income and appointed teachers of agriculture in every department of France (the locality administered by a prefect). Thanks to this it became a question of providing courses in agriculture for intending teachers and lectures for farmers. The « English model » was abandoned, the Third Republic sought an agriculture based on millions of individual farm properties, a « country democracy ». From 1848 to 1880 despite changes in educational policy professional training in agriculture remained secondary. This was because the main element in the evolution of agricultural teaching was a model of agricultural development, not of the education of the worker and citizen.