Artikel

De onderwijzer in de stedelijke lagere scholen van Gent: een sociografisch onderzoek

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Abstract

The teacher in the municipal elementary schools of Ghent: a sociographic study - An enquiry has been conducted among the teaching staff of the 37 municipal elementary schools of Ghent (East Flanders, Belgium) at the beginning of 1963. The aim of this study was a sociographic analysis of some sociological and occupational features emerging in the role and profession of the elementary school teacher. 135 teachers (56 % of the total population) filled out and returned the questionnaire. The majority of the teachers were born and lived in Ghent. Predominantly aged between 30 and 50, 93 % male and 71 % female teachers are married, and come mainly from lower-middle class parents (skilled workers and ordinary clerks). The primary education and the pedagogical training had been followed almost exclusively in local official (state or municipal) elementary teachers colleges. That means that, apart from the promotions of the thirties and those leaving college during Worldwar II, everybody started his career in the same school system where he himself had a primary education. The career patterns move along horizontal lines i.e. transfer from a double to a single class, from a lower to a higher study grade or to a school of better social-pedagogical quality. Anyhow, transfers are always function of seniority determined by the number of years served in the municipal school system and are basically intended to be promotions along higher study grades. Lack of social prestige is the complaint of all teachers, which in their opinion is due to either a complete abstention of any co-operation with or, on the contrary, an opportunistic intervention of the children’s parents. In both cases teachers feel neglected as professionals. They nevertheless maintain that they are satisfied with the profession. This satisfaction, however, conceals to a considerable extent a mixture of both resignation towards their own social situation and love for their pedagogical task. Although the local elementary school teacher cannot be considered as a “sociological stranger” in the same sense as he is depicted in American literature, it is nonetheless obvious that he is convicted of being isolated and disregarded by society. As it is further demonstrated, a revalorization of his role and function should focus on a new concept of his professional task in order to realise a reintegration of his status in the realm of social workers assisting in the education and socialization of man.

How to Cite:

Uytterschaut, L., (1963) “De onderwijzer in de stedelijke lagere scholen van Gent: een sociografisch onderzoek”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 8(4), 405–467. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.95684