Nursery World - Early Years Pioneers: Ferre Laevers

The work of Ferre Laevers and the Experiential Education approach is considered by Professor Christine Pascal

Occasionally you meet someone who has a profound impact on you, and changes the way you think and act at a deep level. My meeting with Ferre Laevers back in 1990 at an early years conference in Alkmaar, Netherlands, had such an affect. Three of us - Ferre, Tony Bertram and myself - began a conversation over dinner that continues to this day.

Laevers was born in the Belgian Congo, Africa. When he was ten his family moved back to Belgium. As a student in Leuven he became interested in the idea of emancipatory pedagogy within early years practice, seeing it as a means to combat the 'alienation' which often results from authoritarian approaches to education. In 1973 he was appointed assistant at the university to support research and training in early years.

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