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Learning philosophy in primary school
World Philosophy Day at UNESCO headquarters, Paris 14th-15th November 2012
We're here for the philosophical workshop at Unesco
What can people do against violence?
The debate is open
and Nina will preside.
There are several methods
to get children to think, to teach them how to philosophize
With some colleagues, we have developed
a method where the teacher does not comment on the content
but only steps in with regard to the philosophical requirements.
Its originality is twofold -
it has a democratic aim, inspired by institutional pedagogy
which will give the students a number of roles
to structure the debate
There is a president, who decides whose turn it is to speak
and there are philosophers
Those who think, who discuss things
and observers
and a secretary, too, who writes down what philosophers say.
...And it also has a philosophical aim which consists in
implementing a number of thought processes
all of which are intellectual requirements - learning how to ask questions,
learning how to define concepts, how to do conceptual dissections
and justifying what you say.
And then, when the other one will exact revenge,
it will create a chain reaction of conflicts, and it will go on, and on, and on
That's the idea Iris expressed earlier - in a way, violence leads to violence
A method which has proven to be effective with children
We have decided to use the Tozzi method because Michel Tozzi organized a training course in our school
and we found it interesting with regard to our school's practices
where some students are designated lesson chairmen, secretaries...
It is not too early to introduce children to philosophy
I have done it with children in "Cours Préparatoire" (equivalent: US Grade 1, UK Year 2)
It is one of our school's goals
to involve children, to make them think,
to show them that there are no right answers and no wrong answers
that there is no best or worst student in philosophy
and that they all have the right to participate in this kind of activity.
There are no prerequisites to start thinking
A child can start thinking when he starts talking
because talking is a way of shaping the world
and so we can start, as soon as the child begins to talk,
to get him to think
while gradually organizing a course
within which this reflection expressed through language will be more and more structured.
Preschool, especially the last year of kindergarten
seems like the right time to start
Children seen as individuals
The assessment you do with children -
their feedback after philosophy courses -
is that they feel, at those times,
that we speak to them as individuals
as persons
I will not paraphrase Françoise Dolto (French psychoanalyst and pediatrician)
who said that even babies should be considered as individuals
but there are few moments when children have the impression
to be considered as persons. They felt they were listened to,
that their words carried weight
We are working on
self confidence, a positive image of themselves...
Philosophy is a time when we share ideas
It's a good moment, it's a time when we debate issues
My favorite topic was freedom
In my opinion, being free is a bit like being detached from life
being lost in my thoughts, etc.
What strikes me is how pleased the children are
when they brainstorm as a group
It's a common belief that thinking, is actually effort, and hard work
"It racks your brain" as some people say, etc.
Well, it's somewhat true
but as soon as a group of people collectively works
on a significant problem,
on an issue that affects them all,
what becomes the most important is the topic in itself
so they will involve themselves
and as a consequence, they will develop
a capacity for reasoning which is sometimes surprising to us grown-ups.
Developping self-esteem
With regard to exceptional students,
philosophically oriented discussion is very important because it will reinstate
some self-esteem.
Those are students who have lost confidence in their language,
who have lost trust in their relationship with others
who have eventually lost confidence in themselves
and to feel authorized to speak
and say things that are considered important
on the human condition's main issues
helps them back on their feet and brings their dignity back.
I loved it, it was very good
It was very, very interesting
we've learned a lot about violence
and we've been able to tell what we think
Thanks to: Unesco, Philolab, "La Source" school in Meudon
News report: Quentin Duverger Filming: Nathalie Inchauspé neopodia Production
VousNousIls.fr - November 2012