Schooling for peasants: the Agricultural School of the Imperial Institute of Rio de Janeiro (1869-1889)

Abstract

The Agricultural School, an establishment of the Imperial Agricultural Institute of Rio de Janeiro, founded in 1869, housed orphans and poor boys so that they could be schooled in basic education and, at the same time, capacitated to field work. The main debates on agronomy and the difficulties that the Brazilian Empire met to deploy agricultural schools are discussed. Evidence exists that Agricultural Schools became feasible due to the fact that agricultural teaching was provided to poor children and orphans during a period prior to the Law of Free Birth (Lei do Ventre Livre). Since the Agricultural School is almost unknown by historiography, current paper contributes towards research on the history of Education, agricultural education and abandoned children.