Public or Private
Public schools or private schools? What do you think? Here I argue that paying for education yourself gives you freedoms the state would never allow.
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Do schools have to be so expensive?
Schools are expensive. It is not just the buildings. The staffing, maintenance and resourcing all cost money and, if you do not have the financial clout of the state, you have to pass that cost along to the parents of the children you serve. This means that a decent alternative school is always out of…
New Privacy Law: What it Means
There is a new law in Europe about digital privacy. We have looked at it. Here is some information for you so that you can decide what you want to do. We do not keep files on our followers, either here or on Facebook. We do not collect any personal information. When you follow us,…
Right From Wrong
Do you think we should teach difference between right and wrong? I don’t. Here’s why.
A Good Enough Reason
A good enough reason? If Summerhill matters, it is not because of what happens in one school in one hidden corner of England. If it matters it is because it responds to our feeling that there is something wrong with the world. It seems to offer a way out. Your definition of what is wrong…
Community and Modernity
Is Summerhill an African idea? My flatmates in Edinburgh certainly thought so. They didn’t think it could work in the UK, but it was just the way they had grown up.
Freedom of Speech
Free speech is a pillar of a modern democracy. What do you feel about varieties of outlook?
The Essentials: Big, Little or In Between
Big Little or In Between Here There and Everywhere We’ve been talking about democracy and scale … size of the school and the building and the finances and the student population and the number of staff and so on. Can a democratic free school environment work regardless of scale; how does scale change delivery? Are…
Scale and Democracy: the Rule of 100
The rule of 100: Scale and Democracy The school I went to was not democratic. It never could have been. It was too big. In this post I want to talk about the effect of scale on democracy. I want to talk about why this is important and what consequences it might have for your…
Qualities of Teachers 6 – Personality
Qualities of Teachers : Personality of Teachers and Schools Clara was an experienced but frustrated state school Science teacher and very much wanted to find a better situation for herself. One Friday evening, over drinks, a friend told her about Summerhill. The philosophy interested her and she bought the book, Summerhill, and then visited the…
Testimonial
“This is a much needed project. There is a wide gap between what people WANT our kind of schools to be and the reality. It is so important that people with on-the-ground experience keep the knowledge of real Summerhill ideals alive. Jason and Leonard have that experience.”
-Zoe Readhead,
Principal of Summerhill
