Etre et Avoir: Documentary about an Auvergne School at Saint-Etienne sur Usson

[BJSLIV]

Has anyone seen this film?

We saw it this week and found it to be a moving depiction of a way of teaching that is long gone in the UK.

But we did wonder how UK parents would react if they found their children in a one-class school, with one teacher, and mixed ages from 4 through 11.

[Adriana]

>Has anyone seen this film?

We saw it and loved it.
The teacher is warm and patient, the kids moving.
Remember the scene with the little boy who couldn't sit still (I forget his name) and the Asian girl at the xerox machine?

Or the ami/amie - copine exchange?

A little jem, as I've said before in another thread on this forum.

But you have a point: I did wonder how the kids would do at secondary school. We see them exploring their school, again lovingly introduced by the teacher, but how will they do?

On the one hand I loved the emphasis on learning rather than scoring, but the level of education did not seem very high, although it is hard to judge from a documentary that is obviously about clarroom life, not education standards.

A must see, though!
Adriana.

[Janey]

I haven,t seen the film but from what you say it reminds me of my daughters school in our village except that there are 2 classes and 2 teachers, the first class has 4 to 7 tr olds and the second 7 to 11 yr olds, one of the teachers brings her dog in and the other well her cat thinks its a pupil, but its a lovely little school and I think shes been very lucky to have gone there. There is a real family atmosphere to the school.All the big ones look after the little ones and there are lots of kisses and cuddles.