Thought Joan Bardina Castarà

primary education, catalonia

bardina’s views on education reconstructed predominantly on basis of theoretical works. opus consists of articles, scattered across numerous periodicals issued in spain or in chile. manuals, published anonymously , few of them covering education-related topics, attracted far less attention. how bardina put ideas practice remains rather obscure; 1906-1910 period @ escola de mestres analyzed in detail, there no study of term in santiago seminary in late 1910, in valparaíso college in 1920s, in escuela de derecho in 1930s , 1940s or in fiscal , customs training schools in chile.

it not clear how bardina developed interest in education , inspiration was. ideas on long term relationship between forming teachers , socio-economic consequences reflected on work. scholars assume first observations negative one, namely own 9-year period in seminary. having learnt basics during university studies, kept reading; neared gines de los rios brothers. later on admitted influence of torres, rey, bolívar, ortega, bartolomé, father manjón, ribera , altamira, adds amalgamate of innovators encompassing escuelas de ave maría, technocrats, liberals , heterodoxes institución libre.

bardina rejected perceived antiquated education system , strove build new one. objective not pass on knowledge, prepare life within system. means reinvigorate , channel natural potential of students; in turn achieved focus on effort instead of result, on searching instead of absorbing, on satisfaction instead of awards/penalties , on co-operation instead of competition. role of teachers apostolic one; inspire , lead example rather enforce , execute. school natural setting – hence stress on catalan native tongue, excursions, hygiene, physical exercises, experiments , interfacing non-scholarly realm in general; mixed-sex education , social mix considered components of natural realm. catholic moral formation indispensable part of curriculum; formatted in functional rather transcendent terms stress on freedom of choice rather obedience.

academic education, chile

though bardina remained highly sympathetic towards ile, vision differed stress on christian values , role of family. montessori school charged excessive “institucionalismo”, apart issues related mixing ages , inward-leaning perspective. padre manjón suspected of excessive stress on rules , followers of spencer criticized chaotic “robinsonismo” in education; libertarian pedagogue alexis sluys found himself under particularly heavy fire archaic concept, clash perhaps related bardina’s episode in bolivia. bardina counted among scholars forming l’escola nova, common term applied retroactively number of catalan educators commenced activity in late 19th century , consolidated in 1920s. according some, “activista e impulsor”, , l’escola de mestres “provided extraordinary momentum onset directed pedagogical renewal in catalonia”.