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We have some information on Escuela Moderna in Regla. Regla is a district of Havana. Escuela Moderna was an off shoot of the Escuela Moderna in Barcelona. This was a Spanish school established in the early 20th century. It had a libertarian ethos inspired by the anarchist pedagogy of Francisco Ferrer, sometimes called the Ferrer School. As best we can tell the Cuban Escuela Moderna does not seem to have followed the unstructured teaching system of the Ferrer Movement. But rather promoted left-wing ideologiws like anarchism. At the time in the mid-20th century, the Soviet Union had not yet failed. Therevwas stull widespread belief that caputalism was a failed system and socialism could create a prosperous society in which all could benefit. There have now been some 25 countries that have tried socialism and all have been abject failures, reducing the entire population to poverty--including oil-rich Venezuela. The only countries with prosperous ecinominies are countries with capitalist economies. The Asian Tigers even showed that capitalism can create prosperity in poor, developing countries. Cuban Anarchists after reading about Ferrer's experimenrs in Barcelona, formed the Ecucación del Porvenir (Education for the Future) group in Regla (1908). The result was the Escuela Modern in Regla. There were similar efforts in other countries where Anarchism had some inflience. (An exception was the Soviet Union. After the Russian Revoluition, Lenin and the Bolsheviks arrested the Anarchists, shooring many and commiting the others to slave labor camps.) The Regla school was the onky sych school in Cuba. We do not know what happened to the Cuba Regla offshoot school after the Revolution. The school had a left-wing orinentation before the Revolution, but the Revolutionary Governebt did not tolerate diversity of opinion even among revolutionaries, schools and teachers were required to promote Government policies and ideology without question. Presumably the Escuela Moderna Regla became just another public school.
Rhe name of the movement is serived from the Greek root word 'narchos' meaning without authority. Anarchism is a system of beliefs based on the belief that government is not only harmful, but comoletely actually unnecessary. The police werea apecial targer of the Arnarists. The idea devekoped in Europe during the earky-20th century as an outgrowth of the Socialist movement. At the time many Socailists based on Marx's writing beloeved that the state een as repressive would actually wither away. When Socialists actually seized power (the Soviet Union) there first step was to create a powerful police firce unrestructed by law. Abd the Anarchists were among their first targets. And raher than whiter away, the Volsheviks contructed the largest, moist totalitarian state in history. The words anarchy and anaechists had been used before the 20th century, buy only in a negative sence. The radicalk Levelers during the English Civil Wars (1642–51) were dispairaged 'Switzerising anarchists' because they advicated universal manhood suffrage. The moderate Girondin leader in Parliament, Jacques-Pierre Brissot, during the Feench Revolution descrived their rivals, the Enragés, as advocates of 'anarchy'. Marx's writings gave cover the modern Arnarchisrs and he saw the state ascrepressive and theorized it would wither away. This it shicked some Socialits that the Bolshecists not only were violent against the Capitakists anf=d nobility, but against Anatchists and Socilists with fifferent biews. The Soviet police beginning with the Chekka was able to limit full reporting aboit the level of violence.
The Ferrer school/movement was an early 20th century libertarian movement inspired by the anarchist pedagogy of Francisco Ferrer. Ferrer was a proponent of what has been described as a rationalist, secular education that emphasized reason, dignity, self-reliance, and scientific observation, as opposed to the Church dominated dogmatic standard curriculum prvailing in Spain at the time. Ferrer's ideas were part of a tradition of rationalist and romantic education philosophy devekpoing in Spain (19th century). He was especially impressed with Paul Robin's orphanage at Cempuis. And he tried out his ideas ar the Escuela Noderna, Barcelona. Ferrer founded the International League for the Rational Education of Children, which would advocate for libertarian education across Europe. It also attrached the interest of Anatchists in Latin America and the Unted States. The Escurla Modern in Regla was one related school. The New York and Stelton Modern School in the United States were also related. Ferrer did not live to soread his ideas. Spanish aithorities accused of orcestrating the Tragic Week insurection in Barcelona and after a frim headvtrial had him executed by firing squad (1909).
Ferrer to test out his ideas, founded the Escuela Moderna in Barcelona (1901). He operated it for 5 years between (1901-06)/ Ferrer tried an informal approach to education that he bekieved would activate the child's natural laearning energies. The children continued to receive moral indstruction to develop social responsibility. For Ferrer freedom was especually important which in kis school meant impowering the students in the learning process. Ferrer emphasized practical knowledge over theory. He was especially interested in providing experiences and trips and nit hyst reading assignments. Pupils were given rge responsibility for directing their own education and attending cvlasses as they pleased. The school also hosted lectures for their parents and other adults during evenings and weekends. Ferrerveven acquired a basic printing press to to provude reading material for the children. Ferrer printed a school journal with reports on the school and articles written by important libertarian writers.
We have some information on Escuela Moderna in Regla. Regla is a district of Havana. Escuela Moderna was an off shoot of the Escuela Moderna in Barcelona. This was a Spanish school established in the early-20th century. It had a libertarian ethos inspired by the anarchist pedagogy of Francisco Ferrer, sometimes called the Ferrer School. Cuban Anarchists after reading about Ferrer's experimenrs in Barcelona, formed the Ecucación del Porvenir (Education for the Future) group in Regla (1908).
The group published a Manifesto inserted in ¡Tierra! and La Coz del Dependiente! (Land! And the Voice of the Depoendent.) The Manifesto attaced the Cuba's government public school system. Charching that the public and atholic school teachers were 'men who aspired to be capitalists'. They also belived that teachers in Cuba only taught to earn an income and actually undermining their student's creatibity. They objected to lessons on patriotism and memorization work for hymns and prayers. (We noted a good deal of memory work in Latin American schools in the 20th century.) The Manifest stressedvthe nee d for rationalistvscgools modeled on Ferrer's Escueka Modern in Bardelona. Miguel Martínez Saavcedra wascselected by Ferrer to founded the Regla school (1908). It was to operate under the auspices of the League Fedrrer founded. As best we can tell the Cuban Escuela Moderna did not seem to have followed the unstructured teaching system of the Ferrer Movement. But rather promoted left-wing ideologies like anarchism. The result was the Escuela Modern in Regla. There were similar efforts in other countries where Anarchism had some inflience. (An exceotion was the Soviet Union. After the Russian Revolution, Lenin and the Bolsheviks arrested the Anarchists, shooting many and commiting the others to slave labor camps. We know that Anarchists raised money dir other Esielas Moderna in Cuba. We di nitbknow how mamy were actually founded. The school was known for its choir which would narch around singing 'The International' rather than the patriotic Cuban national anthem. [Shaffer]
Anarchism and socialism arose out of appaling 19th century conditions for indistrial workers and the urban working class which was blamed on capitalism. As no Socialist economies existed, no realistic actual cpmparisons could be made. For a time it looked like the Soviet socialism was the answer to the future. Many newly independent leaders and a young Fidel Castro signed on hook-line-and-sinker. The Soviet Union had not yet failed and in fact in the 1960s looked very successful. There was still widespread belief that capitalism was a failed system and socialism could create a utopian prosperous society in which all could benefit. There have now been some 25 countries that have tried and there is a well documented track record fir sovialism. Every single attempt to create a Socialist economy has failed. In fact they have been abject failures, reducing the entire population to poverty. And this has included oil-rich Venezuela. The only countries with prosperous ecinominies are countries with capitalist economies. The Asian Tigers even showed that capitalism can create prosperity in poor, developing countries. It was the syccess of the Asian Tigers that promted Communist China to go capuralist, ;eading to its phenomenal success in recent years.
We do not know what happened to the Cuba Regla offshoot school after the Revolution. The school had a left-wing orinentation before the Revolution, but the Revolutionary Governebt did nit tolerate diversity of opinion even among revolutionaries, schools and teachers were required to promote Government policies and ideology without question. Presumably the Escuela Moderna Regla became just another public school. We suspct a share of the families involved evenbtually were part of the exofus to Miami, althiugh that would be an interesying vase study.
Shaffer, Kirwin. Anarchist Cuba: Countercultural Politics in the Early Twentieth Century (PM Press: 2019), 320p.
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