Continuing with the theme of the previous post about the camps, or the summer camps, and their origins, today we continue with what was promised and we will talk about what is considered the first summer camp in the history of education, but do not expect the theme revolves around coexistence to learn English, or bivouacs of language immersion, and much less English courses in England, not going, that would come much later as we will see soon.
Apart from the private experiments conducted throughout the nineteenth century in several European countries, it was Pastor Bión the true pioneer when in 1876 he decided to unite the curricular programs of official education with the clear social needs of some population groups and, in addition, he did it far from the desks of the classrooms, concretely in a place of the Alps called Appenzel, although, yes, everything had to be under the experienced care and the attentive look of the school teachers. Even today, many teachers and professors in schools and colleges re-engage in the summer to continue doing their educational work.
In this first holiday colony the kids made their own wooden cabins above the trees, represented plays among them, sang folk songs around a fire, marched on foot visiting picturesque landscapes, etc. All this propitiated an environment of adventure and fun in the middle of nature that undoubtedly extended the horizon of adolescents. For all this, this model was reproduced by several countries, especially France, which, after the Second World War, wanted to take children away from the horrors that the war had caused in many cities.
The reaction to the experience of the Alps was immediate, in 1878 the Germans copied the model, in 1882 Russia, in 1883 Italy, even passed the old European continent and was made in countries like Australia in 1890, Japan in 1901, Argentina in 1902, USA. etc.
The summer colonies in English in Spain
Also all that reaction of expansion came to Spain at the end of the 19th century, and it did it hand in hand with the ILE (Institución Libre de Enseñanza) calling the colonies “Summer Programs” and giving it a krausist approach (Krausism defends tolerance academic and academic freedom). There are indications that already in these colonies they did language workshops, both in French and in English.
Broadly speaking, the principles of the ILE could be said to be: a great respect for the child as a developing person who must be “reverenced” and given freedom, awakening in them the interest for the general culture and preparing them for professions of all nature how can be a doctor, lawyer, scientist, etc. But above all that the children can come to feel as their own an ideal of values with which to govern and direct their lives. It was not easy, certain sectors made the easy joke that it was a teaching-free institute … come on, they had no teaching to give.
So in 1887, through the National Pedagogical Museum (now disappeared), the first summer camps were held in English in Spain, for which 18 young people between 9 and 13 years of age were taken to San Vicente de la Barquera (Cantabria) for thirty days. Surely coming from working-class neighborhoods of Madrid. The main purpose they pursued was to provide better hygienic and greeting habits, to work on the physical form, to allow them the experience of interacting with nature, and to open their eyes to new perspectives that will help them in their personal development.
The good results of the camps made the Spanish public agencies involved by encouraging the spread of summer colonies throughout the state: Granada, Barcelona, Valencia, Santiago de Compostela … It is a time where new pedagogical techniques are beginning to be incorporated throughout Europe to defend physical, moral and intellectual development through the adolescents’ own experience.
Then came the Second Republic, the Francoism, the Scouts, the summer camps with language immersion courses in English … but all that will be the subject of another post if I dare to do so.
Blas Cubells Villalba – Educator.
