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Article

French

ID: <

10670/1.x6gsr5

>

Where these data come from
Jacques de Rette and the sports republics: an EPS experimentation on citizenship (1964-1973)

Abstract

The République des sports (Sports Republic of Calais), founded by Jacques de Rette in 1964, is a very original pedagogical experiment in the French landscape of Physical Education. The idea is teaching the concept of “citizenship” at school by making the children participate actively in a republic that Sport for a bridge stone. Reflecting the political structure of “de Gaulle’s” Republic, this experiment spread out in more than 80 High schools, according to the ministry and lasted about 10 years. Its success comes mainly from the personality of its inventor, and also from the historical background. Sports, then, had various meanings and satisfied a wide range of people whatever their political backgrounds. But, at the turn of the 60’s and the 70’s, the French society is changing. Politics became more bipolar, the social and cultural conditions are evolving and are questioning the modern state of the sportive competition and its republican/citizen use. As a result, PE had been centered on the “contents” for more than twenty years whereas the Sport’s Republic was focusing on the policies of the last decade and couldn’t integrate this new approach based on different political, cultural, social and unionist considerations. Jacques de Rette soon became isolated inside the federation running the Republic. At the beginning of 70’s this new trend declined rapidly.Finally, this experiment makes us wonder on the way followed by the PE in the 70’s, not only in trying to understand the reasons that favored the success of didactic disciplines’, but also in highlighting the process of taking decision and its educative consequences. At a time where citizenship and democracy are major issues, such an analysis seems important to be done.

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