About Pestalozzi International Village Trust
Based on the "head, heart and hands" principles of 19th Century Swiss philosopher, Johann Pestalozzi, The Pestalozzi Trust believes in a combination of academic, practical and community work which helps young people achieve their full potential in a variety of ways, and to play a full role helping their home communities.
- Pestalozzi students are selected for their academic ability and personality strengths. Selection is made by set tests in English, Maths and Science.
- Students come from low-income families. They would not otherwise have the opportunity of an education, which enables them to reach their full potential.
- The Trust aims to help a higher proportion of girls, as research shows that education of girls in developing countries brings significant positive results.
Pestalozzi students now come to the Village in Sussex to study the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Course (IB). This internationally recognised qualification combines a rigorous academic syllabus with 150 hours of 'creativity, action and service' (CAS) which perfectly complements the Pestalozzi ‘head, heart and hands’ approach to education.
The Pestalozzi education aims to produce citizens of the future who are creative, flexible and have a unique perspective on their own and other cultures. Living in a multi-faith, multi-cultural environment they are able to share their skills and knowledge and develop tolerance and understanding. Countries now represented at the Pestalozzi Village are India, Nepal, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tibetan communities in India.
Our history
After the Second World War, a Swiss doctor, Walter Corti, set up an international village at Trogen for the rehabilitation and education of war orphans from both sides. The village was named after Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, the 19th Century Swiss humanitarian and educationist, who provided help for child victims of the Napoleonic Wars.
Altogether 120 children, mostly from France, Italy, Poland, Austria, Germany and the UK lived at the Village and at one time there were two British houses each with 12 children.
In 1957, inspired by the Swiss example, the UK support group set up the Pestalozzi Children's Village Trust and bought the 170-acre estate Oaklands Park at Sedlescombe in East Sussex. In 1959 the British Pestalozzi International Children's Village was opened following closely the Swiss example, the beneficiaries being 40 child victims of war-torn Europe, representing 15 ethnic groups.
World Refugee Year in 1959 marked the elimination of refugee camps in Europe and the source of Pestalozzi children disappeared. The Trust's Council decided to aid developing countries by providing education and training in practical skills to children who, because of poverty or lack of educational facilities, would be denied secondary or further education at home. In 1963 the new policy was implemented and 22 Tibetan refugee children from settlements in India joined the 30 Europeans at the Village. They were later joined by Palestinian, Thai, Nigerian, Vietnamese and Indian children.
Whilst at the Village, as well as receiving a formal education, they learned skills such as bricklaying, metalwork, carpentry and farming. Many Pestalozzi students obtained university degrees and returned to their homelands to work in medicine, engineering industry and the commercial sector. A high proportion have completed a "circle of success" by supporting local community based Pestalozzi Foundations which sponsor disadvantaged young children.
In 1997, reflecting changing needs of the developing world, a new programme was introduced enabling students from low-income families to come to the Village to study the two-year International Baccalaureate Course. As well as a demanding academic programme, the syllabus includes a CAS component, (Creativity, Action and Service). This perfectly complements the Pestalozzi "head, heart and hands" approach to education.
Students have to complete at least 150 hours of CAS activity and achieve this by working in the local community, with local primary schools through the Pestalozzi International Development Education Centre. This provides a unique opportunity for local schoolchildren to learn first-hand about the richness and diversity of other cultures and increase multi-cultural understanding as well as helping Pestalozzi students to grow in confidence.