Each One Teach One
In my book on Gentle Action it attribute the Each One Teach One to Paolo Freire. Now while Friere’s work in Brazil and Chile was enormously influential in fact he was not the person who was originally responsible for the movement.
Having heard the recent New Dimensions Radio interview on Gentle Action, Juliette Mondot wrote to me:-
“I have just enjoyed listening to your interview on NPR. I would like to correct one bit of misinformation. Each One Teach One was actually introduced as a concept before WWII by Dr. Frank Laubach the great pioneer in adult literacy whose mission to the Moro tribe in the Philipines resulted in his world wide literacy work. When the depression happened and Dr. Laubach had to stop paying his literacy teachers to the Muslim tribes, a Muslim Village elder announced that the literacy lessons would not end because of the lack of money, rather that each one who learned to read and write would teach another. Hence, the Each One Teach One concept was started. I heard this story from the lips of Dr. Bob Laubach, Dr. Frank’s wonderful son who is now in his 90s. The Laubach Literacy organization, headquartered in Syracuse New York can give you more information on this remarkable work.”
