Little Schools of Port-Royal

The Little Schools of Port-Royal were a group of schools established in Paris around 1646 by Jansenists, a movement within French Roman Catholicism that advocated for church reforms and a turn towards Pietism. These schools were associated with the abbey of Port-Royal near Versailles.12

The curriculum at the Little Schools of Port-Royal was similar to that of the Oratorians, but excluded dancing. They were recognized for their excellence in the French language, logic, and foreign languages. Influenced by rationalist philosophy, their teaching methods emphasized starting with what is familiar to the child, using a phonetic system for reading, and conducting all instruction in French rather than Latin. Student compositions focused on personal experiences or current reading material.1

The Jansenists faced political opposition from the Jesuits, and their schools were closed by 1660. Despite their short existence, their educational theories and practices were widely adopted and proved highly influential.12