International School Parent Magazine - Autumn 2021

Ecole d’Humanité
– A new generation of creative critical thinkers
Students of today graduate into a
fast-paced and ever-changing world.
This presents a daunting task for
educators, who must prepare the future
generation to manage unknown challenges
and opportunities. How do you equip
students with the skills and knowledge to
overcome problems that we – as yet – don’t
know the scope and scale of ?
Providing students with the fundamentals
of how to think about these challenges at a
strategic level is vital; pupils must be skilled
in developing and applying their ideas to
circumstances about which we have limited
current knowledge or understanding. In
addition, creativity and critical thinking are
crucial elements of strategic thought – they
help us visualise a path ahead, analyse it,
and shape what success looks like.
Ecole d’Humanité is one of the
leading proponents of a progressive,
holistic approach to schooling, which
puts creativity, critical thinking, and
self-determination at the centre of its
philosophy. Established in 1934, the
school takes its progressive educational
ideas from its founding couple, Paul and
Edith Geheeb-Cassirer, who believed that
every child is unique and their education
should be tailored to their uniqueness.
The school’s theoretical background also
draws from the art of teaching through
profound immersion in key subject areas
(“Exemplarisches Lehren”) developed by
Martin Wagenschein and the Method
of Theme-Centered Interaction (TCI)
developed by Ruth C. Cohn. The Ecole’s
curriculum – accredited by Cognia for
the American AP program and the Swiss
Governing bodies for the Matura – focuses
on developing creative strengths, readiness
for engagement in society, and the
assumption of responsibility.
What does this holistic approach look
like in practice? The best place to start
is the school’s idea of self-determined
learning. Even before classes start, Ecole
students determine (with guidance from
their academic advisor), when, how and
what they will study, constructing an
academic program that they will own, not
just participate in. Choice and passion,
negotiation and what-ifs – students are
required to understand the consequences of
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