Structures administratives et politique scolaire dans l’enseignement primaire urbain

Résumé 0

This paper, taking the example of Paris from 1830 to 1914, aims to show how administrative supervision may have been partly responsible for the educational under-devetopment of a large town. Four stages will be covered. First, in 1833 during the reign of Louis-Philippe, a Central Committee for Primary Instruction was set up for all districts of Paris. It was in fact controlled by leading citizens, now elected local councillors, who carried out a municipal school policy independently of both the University and the local administration. They stood for the method of mutual teaching in an undenominational spirit and ended administrative anarchy. But because of their conservatism the schools supported by the City of Paris remained schools for the very poor, their number was grossly inadequate and teaching methods hardly answered the needs of the population. Consequently, in 1854, under the Emperor Napoleon III, the management of schools was taken over by the Préfecture where an Academie Inspecter presided over a Primary Instruction Board. Under close supervision from the Prefect, his powers were strictly limited to pedagogical coordination – he had no control over supplies of equipment. This dissemination of authority led to similar flaws, especially from 1860 onwards – too few schools and still more inadequate teaching methods for a very unstable population. In 1868 Octave Gréard planned a pedagogical reform to provide this population with basic skills in a coherent manner. In 1871 a new central authority for primary teaching was introduced but for the Seine department only. This took over school equipment services and subordinated them to pedagogical initiative in a specialised office called the Central Bureau ; a planning body which brought about centralisation and standardisation in the management of equipment and the development of a hierarchy. However local councillors availed themselves of many opportunities to influence schools so that from 1876 onwards many supported schools became increasingly secularised and from 1880 vocational training was developed. Carriot who replaced Gréard in 1879 even had to resign in 1896. By the turn of the century the mood changed. Caught between a nationalistic town council and teachers who challenged the authority of headmasters, the new Director, Bedorez, temporised without being able to solve the pressing problems of the status of schoolmasters. On the other hand administrative management became heavy and « imperalistic », pushing pedagogical initiative into the background. As a result primary schools in Paris were threatened by dull routine and anonymity.