Reading Lev Tolstoy: his pedagogical writings and their relevance in today’s education

Abstract

In the context of the development of the nation-states in Europe and America, school was established as a fundamental element. This led to the emergence of educational alternatives that challenged education considered "traditional", forming part of what was known as "Escolanovismo" or "New School". Although its impact in our region began in the mid-20th century, there were some previous experiences that took part in its postulates. How far can the origins be traced? Were there other educational projects outside the "Western-European" orbit which early on raised ideas similar to those proposed by the "New School"? To shed light on these questions, we will see that there was in the figure of the Russian writer Lev Tolstoy a teacher concerned about the schools of his time. His brief, though intense, pedagogical activity left traces that can still be found, for example, in the education of our country, an issue which has been little explored , at least in Argentine historiography.