Summerhill School by A.S. Neill
The above picture has nothing to do with the blog – I just like to post cute pictures of my kids. This blog is actually about the book I’m reading, Summerhill School by A.S. Neill. I’ve been reading parenting book s for a while, now I’m reading education books so I can figure out where to send the wee-tikes when the time comes. Apparently Summerhill School is the original Free School – the idea is that children learn best with “freedom rather than coercion”. Seems like a good idea – I mean after all who remembers liking the rules of school right? You don’t have to go to class if you don’t want, you can smoke, cursing is acceptable, basically anything that the students vote on goes – everyone has one vote regardless of age or rank, including teachers and administration. I’ve started this project to figure out what kind of school I want to send the kids to – and I’ve just started – don’t know where I’ll land, but I know it’s not going to be a Free School – it’s just too naive about human nature. I know that my children haven’t reached the age at which they would be eligible to attend Summerhill, but from what I know about them at this point we’ve got a ways to go before our votes are all equal. After all, these are the kids that think it’s a good idea to take eggs out of the fridge and break them on the kitchen floor.
Written by Joe
6 responses so far ↓
1 Don Berg // Jul 20, 2009 at 11:03 am
“too naive about human nature”
I think this is a very ironic statement to make about a democratic school like Summerhill. Have you really considered what the mainstream classroom assumes about human nature?
If you are willing to consider the issue deeper I invite you to read an essay I wrote comparing democratic schools (which Summerhill is but one of hundreds around the world) with the dictatorial schools that dominate most education systems. Here’s the URL:
http://www.teach-kids-attitude-1st.com/democratic-schooling.html
–
Enjoy,
Don Berg
Site: http://www.Teach-Kids-Attitude-1st.com
Free E-book: http://www.changethis.com/51.05.AttitudeProblem
Hey Don – thanks for the comment. I went to your site today and read some of your articles – very interesting. This is exactly what I wanted to have happen – I’m trying to figure out where to send my kids and am questioning the traditional models, but don’t really know all of the options. I guess the thing about Summerhill is that it’s a great big book, but Neill isn’t able to help the reader understand what his methods are really like in practice. Maybe that kind of info is on your site, but I haven’t found it yet. I just have a lot of questions: what about the kids that don’t want to do anything, or the one’s that won’t follow what everyone has voted on. Also, don’t you have to direct them somewhat? Nowhere in Summerhill does Neill explain how the lessons actually work.
Also – I would like to read a really good critique of what you call the dictatorial method – I know it doesn’t work for everyone (me for example) but I need a really in depth critique from your side of the fence.
Finally, what exactly does the mainstream classroom assume about human nature? Maybe that we don’t deserve more respect than the sheep heard? I can see that. Please know that I’m just trying to figure this stuff out – it’s just that Neill comes across as sort of nutty.
3 Lynette // Jul 23, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Joe, good on you for your drive to investigate.
Thanks Lynette – I wish Mr. Berg would respond. – I’ve moved on to reading a guy named Alfie Kohn – very readable, but I don’t know where I’m going to end up. Funny story – I told a teacher friend that I’m reading about education – she said why? I said because I have kids that are going to have to be educated some day.
5 Eric // Oct 23, 2011 at 6:12 pm
Joe, I’m a few years late in this, but I hope you’re still looking for information. I think a few of your concerns speak directly to what free schools are trying to address. First, the reason you can’t find any example of what the lessons look like is that the lessons are (at least in theory) supposed to be spontaneous. Something catches a student’s attention and a teacher (subtly) converts that into a lesson. For example, maybe a student breaking a rule could become a lesson on the legal system — something the students can immediately relate to their own lives at that point and are, therefore, more likely to remember. Second, regarding your concern about students not going to lessons, remember that young children are naturally curious and enjoy learning. It is typically not until they are older that they start to dislike school – primarily because school becomes a burden instead of an opportunity. If the students are never forced to go to school it never becomes a burden. (In fact, my understanding is that students at Summerhill are often so enthusiastic to go to class they have to be forced to stay in bed when they’re sick.)
If you’re interested in a critique of the “dictatorial” method, you should read “Discipline and Punish” by Michael Foucault. It’s actually about the penal system, but it has direct correlations to public education – particularly the emotional effects that “forced” education has.
For the record, I’m an elementary teacher and not a fan of Summerhill or the free schools. I think it’s important to get as much of the big picture as you can, though.
6 Leo // Dec 28, 2011 at 10:12 am
..hii Joe..stumbled `n this from Anthony De Mello`s
website: http://www.demello.org/ after read`n a highly recommendable book by him: `Awareness`.. after read`n the book U`shouldn`t `ve any difficulties by Ur choice of “unknowns”.. nor how best help Ur kids..;-)
,,C` & dwnld : http://bit.ly/sLr98q
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