Institución Libre de Enseñanza facts for kids
The Institución Libre de Enseñanza (ILE), which means Free Institution of Education in English, was a special way of teaching and learning in Spain. It lasted for over 60 years, from 1876 to 1939. This project was inspired by a philosophy called Krausism, brought to Spain by Julián Sanz del Río. The ILE had a huge impact on Spanish thinkers and helped to modernize education in Spain during a time of big changes.
The ILE was started in 1876 because the government, led by Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, was limiting what professors could teach. Some professors at the Central University of Madrid were fired because they believed in academic freedom. This meant they wanted to teach without being told what to say about religion, politics, or morals. These professors, including Augusto González de Linares, Laureano Calderón, Gumersindo de Azcárate, Nicolás Salmerón, and Francisco Giner de los Ríos, decided to create their own school. They wanted to offer a different kind of education, free from government rules. So, they started a private school that was not linked to the church or government. It began with university-level classes and later included primary and secondary education.
Many famous thinkers supported this educational project. These included Joaquín Costa, Leopoldo Alas (Clarín), Ramon Perez de Ayala, José Ortega y Gasset, Gregorio Marañón, Ramón Menéndez Pidal, Antonio Machado, Joaquín Sorolla, and Santiago Ramón y Cajal. They all wanted to improve education, culture, and society in Spain.
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How the ILE Started and Grew
The Spanish government in the late 1800s, led by Antonio Cánovas del Castillo, wanted Spain to be a very traditional Catholic nation. In 1875, a new rule was made that limited what professors could teach. It said that teaching could not go against the ideas of the Catholic Church. This meant professors couldn't teach anything that disagreed with conservative religious beliefs.
From 1881, new teachers trained by the ILE started working there. People like Manuel Bartolomé Cossío, who took over from Giner, Ricardo Rubio, and Pedro Jiménez-Landi helped the project grow. The ILE became a very important place for Spanish culture until the Spanish Civil War in 1936. It brought many new and advanced teaching and science ideas from other countries into Spain.
Many important people from around the world wrote for The Bulletin of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza. These included famous thinkers like Bertrand Russell, Henri Bergson, Charles Darwin, John Dewey, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Miguel de Unamuno, Montessori, Leo Tolstoy, and H. G. Wells. Spanish writers like Juan Ramón Jiménez, Benito Perez Galdos, Emilia Pardo Bazán, and Antonio Machado were also involved.
The ILE also encouraged people to study Spain's past in a new way. This led to the creation of the Center for Historical Studies, led by Ramón Menéndez Pidal. The ILE also helped connect Spanish artists and scientists with new ideas from Europe. Two important places created for this were the Residencia de estudiantes and the Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios (Board for Advanced Studies and Scientific Research).
The group of poets known as the Generation of '27 was greatly influenced by the ILE. However, this period of modernization stopped when the Spanish Civil War began. After the war, under the Franco dictatorship, all the ILE's educational work was taken away. Its supporters were forced to leave Spain or faced problems if they stayed. They were seen as unpatriotic. Those who left spread their ideas across Europe and Latin America.
During Franco's time, the ILE was blamed for many of Spain's problems. Some people even wanted to destroy the ILE's school building in Madrid and put salt on the ground. This was meant to be a warning to future generations about "betrayal."
After Spain became a democracy again in 1978, efforts began to bring back the ILE's legacy. Today, its funds are managed by the Fundación Francisco Giner de los Ríos, a foundation created for this purpose.
Where the ILE Was Located
The ILE's first planned location was in the Paseo de la Castellana, but the founders decided against it. Instead, they rented an apartment at Calle Esparteros No. 9. Later, they moved to Infantas No. 42, and then to Paseo del Oblisco No. 8. This last location, later known as Paseo del General Martínez Campos No. 14 and No. 16, had a garden. It was on the edge of Madrid and was much better for their teaching style. In 1908, new buildings were added, like the Giner Pavilion.
During the Spanish Civil War, the ILE's main building was badly damaged and robbed. Even some trees were cut down by a group of Falangists, who were against the ILE. Only two old trees survived. In 1940, the government took over the site. It was repaired and reopened in 1945 as a school. Later, it was used for school food services.
After Spain's return to democracy, the building was briefly used as a college. But in 1982, it was finally given back to the Free Institution of Education. Recent updates have made the ILE's buildings very modern.
How the ILE Changed Spain
The ILE had a huge impact on how Spain's government made changes in laws, education, and society. Because of the ILE, the Museo Pedagógico Nacional (National Pedagogical Museum) and the Junta de Ampliación de Estudios were created. The Junta de Ampliación de Estudios, led by José Castillejo, helped Spanish students study abroad, no matter their political beliefs.
New centers also grew from the Junta, such as the Centro de Estudios Históricos and the Residencia de Estudiantes. The Residencia de Estudiantes, led by Alberto Jiménez Fraud, was a place where many famous writers, artists, and scientists lived and shared ideas. People like Federico García Lorca, Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dalí, and Severo Ochoa lived there. Even Albert Einstein gave a talk there in 1923.
Between 1907 and 1936, the ILE's ideas led to new educational projects. These included the Instituto Escuela (a school), school vacation camps, and the International Summer University of Santander. There were also the Misiones Pedagógicas (Pedagogical Missions), which aimed to bring education and culture to people in rural parts of Spain during the Second Republic.
About a year after Francisco Giner de los Ríos died in 1915, his followers created a foundation named after him. This foundation helped continue the ILE's work and goals. It also published all of Giner's writings.
Today, some schools are still connected to the Francisco Giner de los Ríos Foundation. They continue to use some of the ILE's teaching methods. One example is the Colegio Estudio, founded in 1940 by Jimena Menéndez Pidal. This school educated many Spanish thinkers and politicians. Other similar private schools, like Colegio Base and Colegio Estilo, also emerged later.
A unique example of the ILE's influence is the Colegio Fingoi in Lugo. It was founded in 1950, during Franco's rule, by Antonio Fernández López. He was a businessman who wanted to keep the ILE's ideas alive in Spain, even when it was difficult.
People Connected to the ILE
Many people were part of the ILE's journey. They are often grouped into different "promotions" or generations.
First Group of Members
These were mainly men who joined Francisco Giner de los Ríos after he returned to the university in 1881. They included Manuel Bartolomé Cossío, Joaquín Costa, Leopoldo Alas (Clarín), Pedro Dorado Montero, and Rafael Altamira.
Second Group of Members
Giner called these people his "children." This group included Julián Besteiro, José Manuel Pedregal, Manuel and Antonio Machado, José Castillejo, and Fernando de los Rios.
Third Group of Members
These people were born between 1880 and 1890 and were known as Giner's "grandchildren." Notable students included Juan Ramón Jiménez, José Ortega y Gasset, Gregorio Marañón, and Alberto Jiménez Fraud.
The Women of the ILE
Women played a very important role in the ILE, even if they were less visible at times. The ILE was very progressive for its time because it wanted women to be fully part of society. This meant giving them equal chances to get an education and to have professional careers.
Many women were involved in ILE projects. Some of them were Amparo Cebrián, Carmen García del Diestro, María Goyri, María de Maeztu, Jimena Menéndez-Pidal, María Moliner, Alice Pestana, and María Zambrano.
The Asociación para la Enseñanza de la Mujer (Association for the Education of Women) was also created. Leaders from the ILE, like Gumersindo de Azcárate and José Manuel Pedregal, were part of its board. Other ILE members also worked to help women in society. For example, Francisco Giner de los Ríos himself taught psychology at the Escuela de Institutrices, a school for female teachers.
See also
In Spanish: Institución Libre de Enseñanza para niños
- Escuela Moderna
- Generation of '98
- Noucentisme
- Regenerationism
