Today in Labor History September 8, 1901: Francisco Ferrer, Spanish anarchist educator, opened the libertarian Escuela Moderna in Barcelona, Spain. It was one of the first schools in Spain to coeducate boys and girls. During Ferrer’s days, the Spanish literacy rate was only 50% and all schools were church-regulated. The teachers at the Church-run schools emphasized rote memorization of Catholic dogma, were hostile to any scientific and political thinking that displeased the Church and often physically brutalized students. In contrast, Modern Schools purged their books of all religion and their curriculum was fully secular. These ideas were so popular that 40 more Modern Schools opened in Barcelona in just a few years, while 80 other schools adopted his textbooks.
In 1909, mass protests against Spanish intervention in Morocco grew into a General Strike. The state responded with a week of terror and repression known as “The Tragic Week,” during which they slaughtered over 600 workers. The authorities blamed Ferrer, even though he was nowhere near Barcelona at the time. And they executed him later that year. Ferrer’s execution led to worldwide protests and organizing. Modern Schools started to pop up outside of Spain, inspired by his original Escuela Moderna. After his death, activists created more than 200 Modern Schools in Spain and 20 more in the U.S., one of which continued operating until 1958.
By the time of the First World War, Modern Schools were operating in Philadelphia, Detroit, New York, Seattle, Portland, Chicago and Salt Lake City, with more soon to follow in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and Paterson. They taught classes in English, Yiddish, Czech, Italian and Spanish. While most of the Modern Schools lasted only a few years, the school in Stelton, New Jersey. lasted four decades. Some of the students at the original New York Modern School were photographer Man Ray and Margaret Sanger’s son. The last Modern School in America was in Lakewood, New Jersey. It operated from 1933 to 1958. Two of its last students were the Rosenberg’s sons, who attended the Modern School summer camp after their parents were executed.
Read my complete article on Francisco Ferrer and the Modern School movement here:
Michael Dunn
The Modern School Movement - Michael Dunn
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