José M. Tobío
The review of this book, Franco en los pupitres, seeks not only to highlight its most relevant content but also to reflect on the harshness of the educational transition in Spain: from the ideas and thoughts of the Second Republic to the imposition of National Catholicism. This can be observed through the foundation of the work itself and the value of a rigorous study of 22 school notebooks from the author’s family, which are used to unravel the mechanisms of systematic indoctrination under the dictatorship. The account itself portrays two opposing pedagogical models: the Republican 'New School,' which fostered rational thought and freedom, versus the fracture of 1936 that imposed the 'Holy Crusade' in the classroom. Furthermore, it is highlighted that the work offers reasons to reflect on both contemporary schooling and teacher training, emphasizing the constant need to protect the public school system from such ideological regressions.