Clandestine schools in Loire-Atlantique during the July Monarchy

As such, the clandestine primary schools have not been much studied. On the one hand, because the research on XIX th. century primary schools has focu sed either on the action of the State of the action of the Church. On the o ther hand, because the only use of the administrative sources and the globa l reading of the statistics do not allow to take this phenomenon into accou nt. As a matter of fact, when they have been pointed, the clandestine prima ry school teachers are added to the regularly established teachers in the s tatistics without being counted apart. The examination school by school in Loire-Atlantique shows that, these schools, which are usually considered as an obstacle to the professionalisation of the primary school teachers part icipate by their quantity to the general development of the school. Moreove r proof of their social usefulness, they often benefit on the support of th e populations and local authorities and the tolerance of the county authori ties. With the study of the clandestine primary schools, we are faced with the sources used to write the story of the primary school and their interpr etation.