As part of the launch this Monday of the new publication, Thinking about the yard of tomorrow, we discussed with Ricardo Larrivée the global vision of the Lab-École and its relevance for rethinking education.
Where does the Lab-École’s impetus come from?
“Four years ago, Pierre Lavoie, Pierre Thibault and I had the idea of saying:” in the years to come, there will be billions that will be spent to repair schools, will we not? shouldn’t take this moment to think about how schools are built? “.
We created a non-profit organization. Over a hundred people, both from education and government, are involved. We are, I would say, the batteries behind all this because we wanted to bring together people who do not speak often to do otherwise. ”
He explains that the projects of the six schools are all settled and that only technical details remain, including the part of government funding.
What is the role of the schoolyard in the education of children?
“When we asked young people questions, they told us that what they liked best about school was the yard. It didn’t make sense to us that the schoolyard wasn’t a thought-out element in another way.
With this 230-page document, we told ourselves that for all the schools that want to reflect on their yard, it makes them a tool that will allow them to save a lot of time and thought because it has already been done. ”
What’s wrong with the current school and schoolyard?
“The school was not thought of. It was built as it has been for 150 years: a corridor, classes on each side and small gymnasiums. Schools are closed evenings, weekends and summer. We found that it did not make sense that this collective good paid for by everyone was not used. Why couldn’t we make community gardens, give cooking classes or organize collective kitchens?
School is not designed for today’s children. All the children ate at home back then and now 96% of them eat at school where there is no dining hall. This is not to shoot the stone at anyone: it is like that everywhere and for the vast majority of schools in the West!
The government strongly agreed with taking the moment to get ahead in our thinking about schools by saying “indeed, this is the time to invest, our children deserve it”.
The project is still moving forward and influencing the schools that the government is building. It’s not for nothing that it’s a laboratory. It is there to be a model for other schools and to save time in this reflection. ”
Why is it important for people from outside the community to rethink and transform education?
“Education affects everyone. It is our future children who are in school. We have the privilege of having speaking rights, platforms. It is our role to be allies of those who have wanted to be heard for years. We solved the initial confidence problem by saying: “Yes, we are known, no we are not specialists, but we can be a great lever. We can be your partners.
We motivated people who have the knowledge and the energy to do it. We have proven what we said at the start: give us a chance, we want to do it. Pierre Lavoie (the athlete) has no more proof to do in sport. It increased the desire for wellness through physical literacy. I did it in food and Pierre Thibault (the architect) wanted to put his talent at the service of the State. ”
You say that the school is a school place, but also an emotional place. How important are emotions in education?
“We all dream that our children will have a good experience at school. Unfortunately for many, this will be their first experience of bullying. The school puts us in a context of 100% competitiveness, even in the yard, whenever there is sport.
Schoolyards should be caring, to meet a need for relaxation. A child who comes home from recess and feels good is going to be much better able to study. It was important to contribute to an environment that contributes to better learning.
What is important is that there are studies behind it all. It’s about taking all the studies and putting them together. We don’t make it a dogma, that is to say we try something and if it doesn’t work, we change it. A school must respond to its environment. The needs are not the same everywhere and must be taken into account.
Later, it will even be a tourist and economic advantage. You will have learned that in your region, there is such and such a cheese and that in the yard it is easier to grow such and such a vegetable. It is to make school a place of fulfillment. “
You say that you have listened to the wishes and needs of the children to rethink the school and the yard. How to make a unified project that will appeal to every little dreamer?
“You have to listen to them first, because children are never consulted. It was our basis, to start by asking them what their expectations and needs are. This is the priority. From the moment we listen to them, we will have good schools, because they know what they want.
There is not an adult who would accept that during his lunch hour, we tell him what he is going to do, how long he is going to eat and what he is going to play. It is certain that this totalitarian regime would not work there, but it is demanded of children.
The children look a lot alike in relation to their wishes. If I forget soccer and basketball which are already there, number one is trees or anything that is biophilia. They want places to walk, to regroup. They want to play with nature. These are not very complex things to do. You just have to be creative and there are more advantages to doing things differently. ”
Being recognized as a chef, you are surely interested in the impact of food in education. What did you find out?
“This is probably the biggest impact there can be with sport. Cooking and sport meet the same need: to work on self-esteem. There is a lack of knowledge transmission on the food side. First of all, we know very well that a child who is not hungry will learn better. We know very well that eating together decreases aggression and instills democratic values, because you have to learn to take your place. It is also a time to ventilate. Children who cook are good for the whole family. “
Teaching Through Cooking
Ricardo Larrivée explains that Lab-École Saguenay has a full-time nutritionist on the team. The students have access to a vegetable garden in the yard which allows them to bring vegetables to their class with other foods.
For example, imagine Ricardo Larrivée, if a history teacher wants to give a lesson on Chile, he can give his lesson in the nutritionist’s workshop. She will find a Chilean recipe and the children will buy their fictitious fruits and vegetables in a mini-grocery store. They will know the cost of the food and they will cook it. They can then organize a shop where they will sell their recipes once a week to parents and family. This money will be used to continue this loop.
“You encourage the local economy and you develop pride,” explains Ricardo Larrivée. It all holds together. ”
He also suggests that a math teacher can use a cooking workshop where the recipe is easy, but has to be doubled, for example.
“You can do science, chemistry, religion, living together or a reading class. Everything is possible. », Concludes the chef.
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