Modernity and democracy in normal school: the School Republic in the 1920 reform in São Paulo (Brazil)

Abstract

At a time when extremist movements are gaining proportions on the world stage, it is relevant to reanalyse experiences that intended to establish democracy as a principle in school education. The School Republic was one of them, which was proposed by the Sampaio Dória Reform, in 1920, taking the New School as its context; the School Republic aimed to promote modernity and provide students with knowledge and experience, and incorporate democracy. The School Republic was a student association that had the function of practical learning in civic education. Organised along the lines of a presidential republic, the association should have its own constitution to govern its operation. This article aims to analyse the School Republic proposal and its role in teacher education for democracy and to map the experiences of implementing school republics in normal schools. The starting point is that by having self-government as its axis, the student association would promote new configurations and change the constituted ethos and habitus, threatening the established and inscribed power of principals and teachers in normal schools. For Sampaio Dória, students should learn to live in a democracy through civic activities. Among other changes promoted by the reform, the more horizontal relationship between teacher and student seems to have shaken the school field, ending the school republic.