The school in Gramsci and Freinet: proximities and distances to rethink educational policies

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative analysis between the school perspectives of two European authors from the first half of the 20th century: Antonio Gramsci (1881–1937) and Célestin Freinet (1896–1966). Through bibliographical research, comparisons are made between them, taking as reference the theoretical and methodological foundations of each one and what is most fundamental when one is dealing with school: concepts of the human being, principles, purposes, content, method, and school structure. In the final notes, guidelines for educational policies inspired by both authors are presented. The conclusion is that if it is indeed possible to establish proximity between them, since they shared the same conception of the Marxist world, it also possible to view the distance between their methods, such as the role of the teacher in the school, and its syllabus, such as value of the classics.