SUMMARY

Introducing genealogy into education

Genealogy is now part of the national education curriculum, from nursery classes through to Year 6. A cultural and cross-curricular activity by its very nature, genealogy can be used to explore history and the discovery of time, as well as mathematics, geography and French. It can also play a key role as an edutainment, awakening, discovery and exploration activity. Genealogy with a young audience also encourages "living together" at all levels. It encourages inter-family and inter-generational links, and a greater awareness of our heritage. It develops mutual aid and partnerships with archive services, libraries, associations, etc. It gives practical expression to a number of the major principles that make up the French Republic: equal value of origins, rights to identity and nationality, fraternity and mutual assistance during genealogical research, freedom to know one's origins, combined with the right to privacy, access to archives, etc.

But in practical terms, how can genealogical activities be organised with children? What activities can you offer them? How do you create appropriate materials? Two pioneering teachers share their years of experience of genealogical activities in schools.

AUTHOR

Évelyne Duret, a qualified geography teacher, ran a genealogy workshop in a Val-d'Oise secondary school for twenty years. After setting up a centre for genealogy in schools as part of the Fédération française de généalogie, she is now president of the association "Les jeunes et la généalogie", which promotes genealogy in schools, sharing experiences and providing training.

Yannick Doladille, who started out as a school teacher and then became a primary school headmaster, is now a principal educational adviser in a secondary school. He has often used genealogy as an educational tool with young children.