16 - The school of yesteryear
In 1805, there was only one school and one teacher for the entire village. It was located near the church. The teacher was entirely under the authority of the priest and held the title of rector.
The village school was built in 1841 on Rue de la Montagne (now Rue Paul Bert) and initially only admitted boys.
In 1856, a girls' section was created, as well as "L'Asile," the equivalent of our current preschools.
Teaching was provided by nuns, but in 1888, the Chenôve school became secular, and the nuns were replaced by male teachers who also served as town clerks.
Children started school at age 5. There was one class for boys and one for girls.
There was little furniture in the classroom: wooden benches and tables (with holes for inkwells), a desk, a bookcase, and a blackboard. There were no radiators. The classroom was heated by a wood-burning stove in the middle of the room. The teacher cleaned once a week. The teachers lived upstairs.
A bell on the wall signaled the start of class. In the morning, school was from 8:00 to 11:00, and in the afternoon, from 1:00 to 4:00. The older children always began with a moral lesson. They learned about right and wrong, what to do and what not to do.
Recess lasted 20 minutes each time. The children played marbles, cops and robbers, or leapfrog. The girls skipped rope or played ring-around-the-rosie. You will notice the wall separating the girls' and boys' courtyards.
From 1931, it was called the Centre School. It operated until 1938, when it moved to the new Paul Bert School (in the same building as the current town hall).
