Figure 1.-.

Here we have a French primary school (ecole) in Oran, Algeria--the Ecole Gambetta. We note several school photographs in the 1940s and 50s. There is no school uniform. Many of the boys wear smocks, but they do not seem to be required and there is no standard style. Many of the boys also wear short pants. All we know about the school is what can be imduced by the available images. We notice boys and girls in the nursery school class (maternell), but the primary classes we have seen or all boys. We were confused at first as there were two Ecole Gambetta in Oran, but this school has Hlm added to the school name.

The School

We have virtually no information about the school. There were two ecoles named Ecole Gambetta in Oran. We are not sure just who Gambetta was why he was so important that two schools in the same city were named after him. This was the Ecole HLM Gambetta. A French reader tells us, "HLM means 'Habitations à loyer modéré'. These are flats (apartments) for poor famillies with low rents. Quite often this sorte of flat lived in French and Algerian familly together These flats were comfortable and clean. The Algerian families were [selectioned?]" HBC is not sure why this was included in the name of the school. A reader writes, "The Council was proud for this new realisation. Flats and schools were given this name. After World War II, HLMs were built in large numbers because if the housing shortage. These flats were reserved only for families with children. Today they still esist."

Students

It is a little difficult to tell, but the children look mostly like French children. We do see, however, some children that are clearly Algerian. This shows that the school admitted Algerian children, but that apparebntly few Algerian parents wanted to send their children to French schools. The language may have been a factor as the schools like the Ecole Gambetta were taught in France. There may well have been other factors which kert the Algerian children from the school. Hopefully readers will provide us some background information here.

Gender

School photographs from the Ecole Gambetta suggest that it was not common to teach boys and girls togerher in the same class. Some schools were separate. Others separated the classes within the school. The only major exception was the nursery class.

Classes

We note school photographs of classes from different grade (form) levels at the Ecole Gambetta.

Maternelle

French nursery schools seem to have been mostly included as part of primary schools (ecoles). I'm not sure just how common this was, but we note many schools in both Algeria and France that had nursery schools. The image here is the nursery school class in 1948 which is made up of both boys and girls. Most of the children wear smocks, but they apparently not required and not all of the boys wore them.

Cours Préparatoire (CP)

Cours Préparatoire was commonly referred to as CP. This was the entry level class in primary school The children began at age 6. We notice CP classes that are all boys. We do not know if there were also sepasrate classes for the girls or if the girls in nursery school went to another school for primary classes. Many of the boys in CP wore smocks. We see quite a number of different colors and smocks worn by the boys. There was clearly no requirement as many boys are not wearing them. Most of the boys are wearing short pants.

Cours élémentaire (CE1 and CE2)

Cours élémentaire was commonly referred to as CE. Unike CP, there were two classes, CE1 and CE2. We have a photograph from one class, the CE1 class in 1957. These boys would have been about 8 years old. Maby of the boys wear smocks, again in several diffwerent styles. Many of the boys wear long rather than short pants. Here we think seasonality is a factor. Many of the boys not wearing smocks are dressed warmly.

Cours moyen (CM1 and CM2)

French primary schools also included cours moyen. We do not have any images of CM classes at the Eclole Gambetta. We do not know, however, if they actually had them or not.

Chronology

We do not know when the Ecole Gambetta was founded. The images we note come from the post-World War II era. There are quite a few photographs from the 1940s and 50s. Only a few images come from the 1960s as Algeria gained its independence in 1961 and most of the French people returned to France at this time.

School Internet Site

There is an internet site with some photographs from the school. There is no informaion about the school, only the photographs.

French Grade Levels

The grade levels at the French schools in Algeria followed the system in France. This would of course be the old French system before the reforms of 1968.