1900　Ellen Key writes “The Century of the Child”

In 1900, the last year of the 19th century, Swedish pedagogue Ellen Key wrote “The Century of the Child.” The book had a great influence on the new educational movement that emphasized children's independence, and is famous for its statement that “the 20th century is the century of the child, an era in which we should build a peaceful society in which children can grow up happily.”

In this book, Key argued that children also have “inalienable rights of personality” and that children should not be prevented from developing beyond adults. Another famous statement is that “the greatest secret of education is not to educate.” This means that children naturally learn goodness by the good deeds of the adults around them. Key rejected “indoctrination” and insisted on devising ways to enable children to learn spontaneously in a natural state.

This book was published in Swedish, but two years after its publication, a German translation was published, which created a great sensation in Germany. The German poet Rilke praised the book as an expression of the idea of “from children,” and the term “from children” spread throughout Europe.

As such, The Century of the Child advocated a child-centered education that respects the rights of the child and views the child as the subject of his or her rights.