Boys who, the day after a philosophy workshop on stereotypes, decide to wear a dress to school: the event occurred in Quebec, a pioneering land in the philosophy for children movement. “As if we had broken down barriers…”, says Mathieu Gagnon, professor at the University of Sherbrooke, trainer and leader of philosophical research communities. For thirty years, in La Belle Province, various experiments have sought to develop in children the capacity for critical, creative and benevolent thought, through dialogue and philosophy.
The principle ? “A typical workshop in Quebec generally starts with a philosophical story written for children, even if, today, a play, a work of art, a video… can also serve as a starting point” , explains Mathieu Gagnon, who is inspired by the method developed in the late 1960s by the American philosopher and pedagogue Matthew Lipman, father of philosophy for children. “The idea is to start from the interest of the student and not that of the teacher”, specifies the professor. The young people formulate their questions then, after a possible definition of the terms, choose a question. And the discussion begins… The role of the facilitator: to stimulate reflection and challenge the participants to “think together”, in a process of co-development.
Better adaptation of children
“The ambition is not to get them to think a certain way, but to put the students’ proposals to the test so that they can think about them”, develops Mathieu Gagnon. The themes are numerous: friendship, respect, love, courage, justice… And the benefits too, according to Mathieu Gagnon. “We notice benefits in terms of living together, a propensity to accept the diversity of points of view, to dialogue in a peaceful way, he says. In addition to the development of critical thinking, effects are also observed in the relationship to school, especially among students in difficulty, because there is no right answer and we are not in the performance. This approach also has an impact on the psychosocial adaptation of children. “Several studies show a decrease in anxiety among students as well as a more marked social commitment,” says this specialist.
Enough to generalize workshops not only in primary and secondary schools, from the age of 6 – hoping that philosophy for children will one day be an integral part of the program -, but also in municipal libraries, even in rehabilitation centers. of the youth. Is the approach transposable elsewhere? Discussions abound, led by experts and associations on potential applications, from the prison environment to retirement homes.
Specialized associations
A range of organizations and associations work to promote and implement philosophy for children in Quebec. An example: the Association québécoise de philosophie pour enfants (AQPE) seeks to publicize the philosophical research community among schools, teachers and businesses. Another actor, supported by Unesco: Seve Formation Canada, established by the Seve Foundation [NDLR : pour Savoir être et vivre ensemble]itself co-founded by the French philosopher Frédéric Lenoir, notably offers workshops on the practice of philosophical dialogue and the art of attention.