122 In 1926, the Fundação de Rotarianos de São Paulo was not yet in existence and the idea of creating it wasn’t even considered. Nevertheless, the construction of its history can be said to have begun back then, upon commencement of activities at Colégio Rio Branco, to which it would become the maintainer entity twenty years later. The Colégio was born out of the initiative of teacher Savério Cristofaro, an educator with advanced ideas who enjoyed strong recognition for his competence and knowledge. Savério already had a prominent career as a mathematics teacher at the Model School, an addition to the São Paulo Normal School, where he became known for adopting new methods for teaching that subject, along with modern learning practices. Teacher Maria Ângela Miorim, of the Unicamp (the state public university at Campinas city) College of Education, relates that he wouldn’t limit himself to his classroom activity, seeking to influence the direction of Brazilian education. She says, “In 1924, with ten years’ teaching experience, he put forward to the education community some reflections that stemmed from his reading of the classes he taught, his ‘constant observation’ of his students. In his text, at the same time as he values the professional knowledge acquired in the practice of teaching, he reflects upon the need for expanding theoretical disciplines in the training of teachers.” After providing private tutoring classes to prepare students for admission exams —which at that time were the path to admission into the State’s official education establishments—, Savério devised his own Preparatory Course, which he administered to groups of students in a rented room in the central region of São Paulo. The next step, in line with his goal of contributing to the modernization of teaching, was the creation of Instituto Rio Branco. The dream of turning it into a major school, one that should live up to the demands of such a thriving, rapidly-developing city as São Paulo was back then, made great strides up to becoming a reality in 1926. I was then, in a historic meeting on September 25th —a day celebrated since then as the school foundation date—, that Savério was joined by several other professionals involved with education, particularly with the Normal School of São Paulo, to create Liceu Nacional Rio Branco. Amongst them, featured names such as Antônio de Sampaio Dória, Roldão Lopes de Barros, Antonio Ferreira de Almeida Junior, Manuel Bergström Lourenço Filho, and Guilherme Mehrbach. The location originally chosen was Rua Maria Antônia no. 52, in the district of Higienópolis. Soon afterwards, on account of expansion needs, the Colégio moved to Rua Dr. Vila Nova, a neighboring street on which its own facilities were built up and opened in 1927 in a very symbolic day: September 7. Savério poured his heart and soul into the Colégio, accumulating the roles of principal and math teacher. At the same time, he kept on reflecting and taking part in discussions on teaching, which led him to publish, in 1929, the book “Como se aprende Arithmetica” (or “How Arithmetic is learned”). As Maria Ângela Miorim points out, “From the very beginning the title he chose for the book, teacher Savério already demonstrated his allegiance to renewed approaches to teaching and to the ‘art of teaching’. It is not a book about the science of mathematics. It’s a book for ‘learning math’. The choice of title was inspired by other existing books intended to offer answers to the two key questions in the educational debate of that period: ‘How do you teach?’ and ‘How do you learn?”. Under Savério Cristofaro’s leadership, the Colégio’s first academic year was 1927. It was an auspicious start, with 765 students enrolled. With a team of extremely high-caliber teachers —including the educators who founded it— and an innovative orientation, the institution soon saw its reputation and prestige rise, drawing growing numbers of students. A witness to that period, Brígida Abud Cury, age 103, completed her studies at Liceu Nacional Rio Branco in 1931 and vouches for the quality of the teachers and the education she received there. She stresses the legacy of the institution: “Everything Rio Branco conveys, the life lesson, the lesson in respect for the next person, in commitment to the others, stays forever.” The line of teaching in place at the institution is explicitly explained in a 1926-27 prospectus that reinforces the intent to have it based on the most modern practices: “It is the Colégio’s fundamental objective to teach and, at the same time, to educate in a welcoming environment of sound physical and moral health. Without enslaving 1926-1945 The Beginnings
Livro Comemorativo dos 70 anos da Fundação de Rotarianos de São Paulo - Uma história de ideias e ideais
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