The school San Francisco Javier de Mérida, educational model for a small colonial city

Abstract

The article consists of two fundamental parts. The first is an introduction to the so-called Jesuit paideia: "integral formation". The code by which all educational institutions were governed was called Ratio Studiorum, that is to say, an efficient, well structured, careful method of the mechanisms of acquisition of knowledge, adapted to the necessities of his time. Therefore, they understood that the commitment to "the common good" should be an expression of culture, civility, civility, conversation and, ultimately, the design of an honest man. The second part studies the school San Francis-co Javier de Merida (Venezuela), archetype of the "Indian school" that constitutes a revolutionary experience because it provided the minimum experience required to the youths that rose far from the centers of power in cities with lower demography To the 500 inhabitants. It was a totally free and public education and also guaranteed the en-trance to the university and the correct development in society. The structure of the "In-dian college" usually rested on four people. The Rector, responsible local of the school life that he presided over. The grammar teacher who attended permanently the march of the classrooms. The public prosecutor of the school that would acquire exorbitant di-mensions by the capitals and risks that had to run to generate the products and later to market them. And the Prefect of the Church, responsible for the promotion of ministries aimed at the practice of the Christian virtues not only of the students but also of the pa-rishioners who came to the Jesuit temple. After dedicating an analysis of what the teacher should be, we study in detail the pensum, the texts used, the entrance and pro-motion of the students, the school calendar, the compositions, the public events, the theater and the Academy.