Researching the Summerhill School Model and subsequently, the Free School Model has been quite a learning experience for me. I have been awed at several brilliant strands of thought behind the radical schooling philosophy. My desire to pursue the study of this model has ultimately been inspired by my appreciation for elements found within it.
I find the more I read about the model, the more I agree with “things” that seem wrong with our “regular” schools. Often, children really are treated as numbers and given very little choice in matters related to what they want to learn. We seem to have convinced ourselves that children thrive on structure (and deep down, I still believe this), but I often wonder whether we think that way because it is more convenient for us to think so, as parents, teachers, and policy-makers! Perhaps children really do thrive going with their own rhythm and abiding by their own freedom to decide, be, and do…
Although we’re getting better about limiting the amount of children’s homework, we still do give it, thus disabling them from spending their “free” time outside of school in matters they want to pursue. I do find that children seem reluctant to engage in a variety of activities; they so often seem drained after school that all they want to do is lounge around… If students loved going to school because it meant they were free to initiate their own activities, perhaps they would continue their pursuit of discovery and learning opportunities outside of school-time.
When I first read about how there are no school-bells in Free Schools, I really liked that. It reminded me of a private school I taught at, where they also chose not to have bells. After all, students are children, not cows!
The democratic aspect of the school meetings is brilliant! We have often emphasized the importance of giving students choice in order to empower them, but how much more just is their world when they are given the liberty to discuss everything openly and have their voice weigh in as much as their teachers? I think the students in such a school would feel more empowered to be agents of change in their schools and communities, than students do in regular schools. I also think students learn more from each other in a collaborative setting that does not separate students by age, like the Free School model.
Finally, I believe the most positive aspect of the Free School Model is that children do get hooked on their particular interests and talents because the learning that takes place really is meaningful to them. If we are to believe that one of the major purposes in education is to elicit passion for learning (which I believe is fundamental!), then this model serves such an idea well! Furthermore, it seems to me that as educators, we harp on and on about the value in play… However, after kindergarten, very few teachers allow for the necessary time, materials, and space for their students to play. If play is defined as an open-ended, self-initiated activity with no particular goal, then it is the Free School model that encapsulates it best.
There is a recent statistic that gets tossed around among educators: the best teachers quit following their first five years of teaching. I have often wondered why this is. I’m now convinced it’s related to an aspect of liberty found in the Free School model. Good teachers dream of facilitating student’s experiences in learning. Instead, the reality is that they are unable to make school the enjoyable and interesting place it ought to be, resulting in thousands of children detesting school. Many teachers have lost the ability to think laterally and instead, think in the top-down fashion their schools are being run like, mimicking corporations…
