A crusade against the curve? Physical education for disabled pupils in France after World War II (1945–1958). (3rd July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tajri, Yacine; Saint-Martin, Jean; Froissart, Tony
• Is Part Of: Paedagogica historica. Volume 56:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 520
• Page End: 534
• Publication Date: 2020-07-03
• Subjects: Physical education -- disability -- school -- re-education -- Fourth Republic -- France; Education -- History -- Periodicals; 370.9
• DOI: 10.1080/00309230.2019.1622576
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0030-9230

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article explores a specific physical rehabilitation in French schooling after the Second World War. To this end, it analyses how, in concepts and as the result of data-derived information, pupils considered as "weak" physically speaking were taken care of by the school and especially how the actors of the physical education (PE) system got together to make a cultural offer in line with what were considered to be their needs and aptitudes. Indeed, after a meticulous summary of some of their body measurements and physical displays, the pupils are thus classified into groups where they were taught a kind of PE, considered as the most appropriate to their needs. The paper also focuses on how, during a particular social and political context, the school developed corrective gymnastics as an original pedagogy for disabled pupils of the third group who were to be taught in a new location, the physical rehabilitation centres.