Postcard with drawing by Jean Roblin of the church in Coupvray. Text on the left-hand side reads "Eglise St. Pierre ou fut baptise L. Braille Le 6 Janvier 1809" [St. Pierre Church where L. Braille was baptized on January 6 1809]. No date.
Postcard with drawing by Jean Roblin of the church in Coupvray. Text on the left-hand side reads "Eglise St. Pierre ou fut baptise L. Braille Le 6 Janvier 1809" [St. Pierre Church where L. Braille was baptized on January 6 1809]. No date.

Louis had to memorize what he learned when he received instruction from Abbé Palluy and the local school teacher, Antoine Becheret. In 1818, when he was 9 years old, Louis' schooling was disrupted by the government's introduction of a new method of teaching called mutual instruction. The method was based on students instructing one another, thereby reducing the central role of the teacher in the classroom. Abbé Palluy strongly disliked the new method and searched for alternative educational options for Louis. He learned about a school in Paris dedicated to teaching children who were blind, and with the help of a local nobleman, arranged for Louis to attend the school on scholarship. Louis' parents realized that he needed special instruction if he was to progress, and, after much soul-searching, they agreed to send him to the Institute for Blind Youth in Paris.