A secondary school without a director, without hours of glue and where the students are autonomous, does that seem unthinkable to you? However, it is a very real project that has developed in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, with the support of the National Education. Founded in 1982, the “Lycée autogéré de Paris” has provided an alternative to the traditional education system for almost forty years. Autonomy is the keyword of this public school, where 240 students together with their teachers manage the establishment. Canteen, administration, maintenance… More than a school program, young people learn “life” here. Discovery of a “hut” like no other.
Founded in 1982 under the Minister of National Education Alain Savary, the Lycée autogéré de Paris (LAP) is a unique establishment in Île-de-France. And rightly so, in this public and free school there is no administration, no cleaning or canteen staff, no chaperones. Everything (or almost) is managed by the students attending, as reported Raw†
The latter, aged between 15 and 21, enrolls for various reasons. “There are those who are aiming for a professional or techno bachelor’s degree, but who absolutely want to stay in general, others who want alternative methods, but there are also people who are terribly afraid of the traditional school, those who are there because of political dedication… and those who at some point just want to try something different”reports Stéphanie, professor of history and geography at the LAP, interviewed by Raw†
Autonomy to empower students
If the school programs are the same as those in other high schools, the methods are different. Thus, students are not penalized for their absence or late arrival and they are free to take the classes they want. This last principle is “fundamental” in the pedagogy of this alternative school: “It is a desire to make the student take responsibility, no longer to follow his education but, on the contrary, to be a master and on the initiative of the lessons he chooses”explains Flore, SES professor at the LAP.
On the catering side, it is the students and the teachers who put their hands in the dough to serve the meals, the content of which can be discussed in committee. Because in addition to the courses, LAP students participate in general meetings and committees to manage the life of their establishment. “A student’s voice counts as much as a teacher’s”, says Zoé, a student at the LAP. Finally, the young people take turns answering the phone, collecting the registrations for the baccalaureate, providing training to staff, etc.
“Life isn’t all about discipline, it’s about having friends, cooking, shopping, being able to talk… And then they know how to do it all. It is together that we do things in a society, so at some point the school has to lead us to know how to do things together’concludes Stéphanie, professor.
Discover this alternative school project through the report of . to watch Raw †