Democratic education

Democratic school is a term for a specific form of alternative schools that meet the following criteria:

• There is deliberately no binding for all students curriculum.
• As many aspects of the school life together be governed on a democratic basis, with each member of the school community has a voice.
• Each student is free to move in school, as long as it does not restrict the freedom of others or violates decided by the Community rules.

Democratic schools allow their students thus a self-paced learning.

History

As the oldest Democratic school is Summerhill School in Leiston ( Suffolk, England ), which was founded in 1921 by the Scottish educator AS Neill.

In its broadest concept at the Sudbury Valley School, founded in 1968 in Framingham (Massachusetts, USA). There are now more than 40 Sudbury schools, of which most are in the U.S..

Worldwide, there are at least 200 democratic schools. The largest number of democratic schools there are in the United States and Israel. More are located in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, India, UK, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, Spain and South Africa.

As the world's largest Democratic school is 600 students with the school's self-determination in Moscow. On the second and third the Democratic School of Hadera, and the Democratic School in Kfar Saba follow (both in Israel), each with about 400 students. Most democratic schools have far fewer students.

Since 1993, takes place every year the International Democratic Education Conference ( IDEC ). Since 2008, the European Democratic Education Community ( EUDEC ).

In Israel there is an Institute for Democratic Education (Institute for Democratic Education ).

Diversity of democratic schools

All democratic schools start from a basic respect for children. In the actual design of academic freedom and democratic decision-making structures as well as the school day, however, there are marked differences between different schools.

While in Sudbury schools teaching courses not play a major role and be set up on the initiative of students, learning in other schools is largely not initiated by the students themselves, that is, the school offers various courses according to the traditional school subjects to where the students can participate, but do not need. In general, the teachers in such schools can ( and usually also the students ) to offer more courses or projects on topics that interest them. In some schools, the staff offer although no courses, but prepare the learning environment over and over again, so that the students there to discover those things that the adults of the importance of keeping ( prepared environment ).

In most democratic schools there is a weekly school assembly, in some it occurs, however, together with no fixed rhythm or as needed thereafter. In most schools, decisions are taken by simple majority of those present, some schools require a qualified majority. There are also schools which operate on the principle of consensus. In some schools, the meetings are more informal, casual and spontaneous, in others there is an order has been formalized procedures that provide an efficient processing of the agenda and prevent people from being overrun.

Rules and rule violations are handled quite differently in different democratic schools. In some schools, students and staff have worked out an enormous number of very detailed rules and have for dealing with rule violations, a separate school assembly or a judicial committee, which may impose sanctions according to an established method. Other schools have relatively few rules and prefer exclusively mediation instead of a justice system. Some schools use both mediation and formal legal proceedings.

Democratic schools also differ in the extent to which they involve the parents of the students differ. In some schools, parents may, for example mitabstimmen about finances, in some they have a right to vote and in everyday school life, in others none at all. In some schools, the presence of parents is bothersome, in others they are welcome in still others the cooperation of parents expected. Some schools are organized as Community Schools, where the transition from school life and family life flowing and the school rather is part of a larger community, living together and partly also organized their paid work jointly.

If a Democratic school operates as a boarding school, it is also a so-called Republic of children.