Gaston Mialaret facts for kids

Gaston Mialaret (born October 10, 1918, in Paris; died January 30, 2016, in Garches) was an important French educator and professor. He taught at the University of Caen. He played a key role in starting a new field of study called "educational sciences" at universities, beginning in 1967.

A Journey in Education

Gaston Mialaret started his path in education by studying at a "normal school" in Cahors. This was a special school for training teachers. He earned a higher certificate and passed his baccalaureate, which is like a major high school diploma in France.

In 1939, he began working as a teacher in Figeac. At the same time, he studied mathematics at the University of Toulouse. After serving in the military, he became a math teacher at a high school in Albi. There, he helped set up new classes using methods from another famous educator, Gustave Monod.

Becoming a Specialist

In 1946, Mialaret continued his learning. He trained to become an inspector at a top teaching school called École Normale Supérieure de Saint-Cloud. He also earned a degree in psychology from the Sorbonne University in Paris.

Soon after, he became an assistant at Saint-Cloud. In 1948, he created the first "psychopedagogy laboratory" there. This was a place to study how psychology (the study of the mind) and pedagogy (the art of teaching) work together. He also taught at the Institute of Psychology in Paris. In 1957, he completed his important research papers, called theses. One was about teaching mathematics, and the other was about training math teachers.

Shaping Educational Sciences

In 1953, the University of Caen invited Mialaret to join their team. His job was to expand the teaching of psychology. He created new courses and a degree program for students. He became a university professor and worked there until 1984.

In 1956, he opened another psychopedagogy laboratory at the University of Caen. Then, in 1967, something big happened. His psychology department was changed into a "chair of educational sciences." This was because a new field of study, "educational sciences," was starting at the university.

A New Field of Study

Gaston Mialaret, along with two other professors, Maurice Debesse and Jean Château, strongly supported this new field. They believed that studying education as a science was very important. Thanks to their efforts, "educational sciences" officially became a recognized subject in universities in 1969. It was listed as the 70th section of the Consultative Committee of Universities. Later, this committee became the National Council of Universities in 1987.

See also

• Pedagogy
• Education in France