The Work School (Arbeitsschule) and its Influence on the Greek Education System: The Case of the Educationist Theodoros Kastanos

The aim of this study is to highlight the influence of the Work School on Theodoros Kastanos, one of the most important Greek educationists in the first half of the 20th century, through the critical analysis of the his body of writing. It becomes clear that Kastanos' theoretical contribution to the development and spread of the Work School principles to the Greek education was great. His works focus on the Greek student and their position in the Work School context, as well as on the student-teacher relations in the newly formed school. It is evident that the dominance of the Old School need be paused in order for the new principles to be established. The main conclusion emerging through the work of the educator, concerning exclusively the theory and application of the Work School, is his assurance that its basic principles are the only right solution in order to improve the operating conditions of the Greek School in the early decades of the 20th century; an improvement based mainly on the way it functions in relation to its students, their relations with their teachers and proper teaching.