His journey
Francisco Ferrer was born in Catalonia in 1859 into a well-off family of farmers who were very Catholic. From the age of 14, he began working in Barcelona for a miller. Later, he became a controller at the railway company. He read extensively and frequented republican, socialist, anarchist, and Masonic groups.
Involved in a failed insurrectionary attempt, he was forced into exile. He lived in Paris from 1886 to 1901; to survive, he worked as a wine representative, ran a restaurant, and then gave Spanish lessons, notably at the Lycée Condorcet. During this period, he wrote a Spanish grammar book, El Español Práctico, published by Garnier in 1895 — a well-regarded work that had a significant influence on the teaching of modern languages at the time.
He became increasingly interested in education as a means of progressive social change. He met Paul Robin and grew passionate about his concept of Integral Education. One of his students, Miss Meunier, left him a substantial inheritance. He made no changes to his modest lifestyle and returned to Barcelona, where he decided to use this money to found a school. This is how he opened the Escuela Moderna (The Modern School) in 1901.
A secular and libertarian school: "anti-patriotic, anti-militarist, rationalist, and anti-statist," in his own words. It was co-educational, like Paul Robin's orphanage in Cempuis and Sébastien Faure's "La Ruche." Families contributed financially according to their means, which could go as far as complete free admission.
In this school, children lived in an atmosphere of great freedom.
"… at Ferrer's school — and this is one of its essential features — the child is free, free even to leave the school. However, it goes without saying that very few pupils take advantage of this freedom, given the atmosphere of the school. To a new pupil who was bored, Ferrer went so far as to give this advice, which also reveals his kindness: 'Leave us, my child; only come back if you wish.' In class, the pupil (…) enjoys wide freedom of movement. He goes to the blackboard, consults this or that book, abandons himself to daydreaming when he feels like it. He even leaves the classroom when he desires." (1)
The students studied at their own pace. Solidarity and cooperation were encouraged, while competition was excluded. Francisco Ferrer had rejected the system of exams and rankings, as well as rewards and punishments. Why have exams if not to "puff up a few children with the flattering title of excellent, give others the vulgar title of good, and cast the rest into the unfortunate consciousness of incapacity and failure"? (2)
The clearly stated goal was to turn these children into free, autonomous individuals, liberated from all tutelage.
"Every pupil will leave the school to enter social life with the necessary aptitude to become his own master and guide throughout life." (3)
Five years later, there were around fifty rationalist schools in Spain. Francisco Ferrer also founded a publishing house that published teaching manuals, pedagogical, scientific, and philosophical works, as well as a monthly bulletin featuring texts written by both children and adults.
In May 1906, a bomb attack in Madrid carried out by a former librarian of the Modern School led to the arrest of Francisco Ferrer. He spent a year in prison before being acquitted in June 1907. However, the school, which had been closed, was never allowed to reopen. Ferrer then developed his publishing project. He returned to Paris where, with support from among others Sébastien Faure, he founded "the International League for the Rational Education of Children" in 1908. Anatole France served as its honorary president. The journal L'École Rénovée became its official publication.
He returned to Barcelona in 1909, at a time when the city was the scene of a violent insurrection: "The Tragic Week" (July 1909). He was arrested and accused of being the instigator of the unrest. A sham trial was held, at the end of which — despite the mobilization of many prominent figures and strong international support — he was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad on 13 October 1909. The news of his execution triggered angry reactions and violent demonstrations in many capitals. The emotion aroused was considerable. Spread by "the channels that disseminated the news of the day," the announcement of "the legalized assassination of Ferrer, the pedagogue, even reached the most remote villages in France: "They have shot Ferrer !" (4)
A few days later, the Spanish government was forced to resign.
While there were already 109 Ferrer schools in Spain in 1909, shortly after his execution, sympathizers inspired by his ideas founded "Modern Schools" in the United States, modelled after the "Escuela Moderna". The first and most important of these was established in New York in 1911.
A review of his trial began the same year. In 1912, it was officially recognized that his conviction had been a miscarriage of justice.
His memory is notably perpetuated by a monument in Brussels, at the base of which one can read:
"Francisco Ferrer, shot at Montjuïc on 13 October 1909, martyr of Freedom of Conscience."
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1
Maurice Dommanget, Paris, coll. « Les grands éducateurs
socialistes », Sudel, 1951, cited byJean-Pierre Caro in
« Francisco Ferrer », Cahiers de l'Institut
d'Histoire des Pédagogies Libertaires, Ivan
Davy Éditeur, 1984, p. 86.
2 Francisco Ferrer cited by Jean-Pierre Caro in ibid., p. 87.
3 Francisco
Ferrer cited by Ramón Safón , in « Le rationalisme
combattant, Francisco Ferrer y Guardia », Paris, Éditions CNT Région parisienne, 2002 p.
24.
4 Ramón Safón , « Le rationalisme combattant,
Francisco Ferrer y Guardia », Paris, Éditions CNT Région parisienne, 2002, p. 21.
Statue of Francisco Ferrer in Brussels
Photo: Aline Franck, 2005