During the interwar years, the New Education Fellowship (NEF) assembled all those who thought that a large educational reform would be able to transform society towards peace and justice. This international association was the link between hundreds of professionals who worked as teachers, educationalists, psychologists, biologists, medical doctors in order to better child’s education, teaching methods and school success. In order to create a common language and action, the NEF organized congresses every two years and published journals in several languages.

Among its members, many women – teachers, principals, writers, etc. – took part to the international congresses, wrote in its journals or published review in their country, and were delegates in the NEF International Committee. In parallel, they were activists among other international networks such as feminist associations, political or religious groups, and child welfare organizations.  

This panel will study some of these women who were deeply involved in promoting New Education at national and international levels. Through the analysis of their training, professional activity, social relations and editorial work, we will show their role in the circulation and promotion of New Education principles. We will be attentive to their action inwards and outwards the educational networks. We will focus on three women who were delegates in the NEF International Committee and who edited pedagogical journals in their country. They acted as relay actors or exchange platforms for the International Bureau of Education in Geneva, which centralized information and documentation about educational research and progressive methods around the world.

This symposium is based on works in history of education (Brehony, 2004; Del Pozo Andrés, 2009; Oelkers, 2005), but also on those in history of women international activism (Rupp, 1997; Wiesner-Hanks, 2011 ; Fitzgerald & Smyth, 2014 ; Jensen & Kuhlman, 2010). The papers of this panel will use the concepts and methodological approaches of transnational history (Saunier, 2004 ; Clavin 2005) in order to question the transition process with regard to educational methods at an international level. They will examine the role of women in this process, especially those located in Eastern Europe, focusing on their strategies to transfer new educational methods to their compatriots. 

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