Teaching history and local history in French schools (1880-1980)

As it was constituted by the Third Republic for cultural and civic purposes , the teaching of history in State secondary schools excluded local and pro vincial history. So, at the beginning of the 20th century, the History of B rittany was only taught in clerical secondary schools. This practice contin ued in spite of an increasing public demand and more diversified local poli tical patronages. Indeed, Deixonne's law about optional teaching of provinc ial languages and cultures is dated to 1951 and the first application decre es are dated to the end of the sixties. Effectively, within a system consti tuted to develop republican consciousness, teaching of provincial history r aised up an enduring suspicion. Thereupon, school minimised the interpretat ion of provincial history. It was only supported as a pedagogical media and never as a self-reliant teaching subject. So, pupils' knowledge and unders tanding were cut down from a perspective of which historical research was d emonstrating all the potentials at the same time.