The Gimnasio Moderno is a private all-male Elite-traditional and liberal, primary and secondary school located in Bogotá, Colombia. It was founded in 1914 by various prestigious Colombians following the leading initiative of Don Agustín Nieto Caballero. Some of the remarkable personalities who acted as co-founders of this New School (Escuela Nueva) were: Don José María Samper Brush, Don Daniel Samper Ortega, Don Tomás Rueda Vargas, and Ricardo Lleras Codazzi. These gentlemen were predominant freethinkers at the time in Colombia. The main influences for the development of the New School in America, the first of its kind in South America, were mainly those of Ovide Decroly, Maria Montessori, and to a lesser extent, Jean Piaget. Don Agustín met all of them personally and engaged in intellectual conversation with them while studying in Europe. He carried their ideas back to America, and applied and modified them in a novel way according to the spirit and environment of Colombia in the 20th century. Ideals The school's principle of conduct is based on the so-called discipline of trust (), following the lines of Maria Montessori's active discipline. This fundamental principle seeks to instill self-confidence and inner discipline in students, as well as furthering their understanding of a deeper sense of responsibility, honesty, loyalty and friendship through the active development of freedom. The Gimnasio Moderno was awarded a national monument status due its longevity and historical stature. Furthermore, the school centers its approach to teaching around the motto "Educar Antes que Instruir", which translates as "To Educate Rather than to Instruct". This means that teaching moral values and allowing development of students as honest, self-confident, and driven individuals, takes prevalence over technical instruction. This approach results fruitful and the school remains in the top tier of schools in the country by academic standards. The educational program is divided into four sections. The first section includes Montessori 1, 2, and 3, first Decroly, and second Decroly. The second section includes the third, fourth, and fifth Decroly grades. The third section includes the sixth through ninth grades, and the fourth section includes the tenth and eleventh grades. Traditions The school's traditions include: A marching band (winners of the Batuta de Plata competition, won for the first time in 1999 with Sebastian Devis as tambor mayor, then in 2006 with Nicolás Medina as tambor mayor, in 2012 with Germán Garcia as tambor mayor, in 2016 with Pablo Güete