S neills summerhill school, a coeducational boarding school in suffolk, england, is the original alternative free school. A japanese edition of neills most influential book, summerhill school. The progressive boarding school in suffolk, founded by as neill in the 1920s, may only have 80 pupils, but is as well known as eton or harrow, which it. Alexander sutherland neill flouted educational convention with utopian faith in individuals ability to direct their own learning. William tyler smiths kiss me again, the third minddocumentary tells the story of a. It is useful for teachers and trainee teachers, headteachers and school leaders, local education authorities, and parents. It was founded in 1921 by alexander sutherland neill with the belief that the school should be made to fit the child, rather than the other way around. The summerhill school, the radical educational experiment. Neil is a book that details the venture of those who took part in the school known as summerhill, which sought to achieve a new standard of learning and growth. Alexander sutherland neill was a scottish educator and author known for his school, summerhill, and its philosophy of freedom from adult coercion and its community selfgovernance. The function of a child is to live hisher own life, not the life that hisher anxious parents think heshe should live, nor a life according to the purpose of the educators who thinks they knows best, if the emotions are free the intellect will look after itself, and all crimes, all hatreds, all wars can be reduced to unhappiness.
Neills controversial school in suffolk uk has since the mid20th century wielded an enormous influence on child training throughout the world. It is probably the most famous alternative or free school. Following neills retirement it continued to be run by neills daughter, zoe readhead. Neill as american education lags behind the rest of the world, this new edition is.
Today it is a boarding and day school currently located in leiston, suffolk, england, serving primary and secondary education in a democratic fashion. Summerhill school is an independent boarding school in suffolk, england. We offer preschool, kindergarten, afternoon enrichment, extended care, and summer day camp for children ages two and a half to thirteen. Instead, he termed summerhill as a demonstration school.
A radical approach to child rearing original cover authora. A radical approach to child rearing, a classic work of alternative pedagogy in which the scottish writer and educator described the radical ideas developed in his summerhill school in england, first. Summerhill school in suffolk, england is the oldest and probably the best known democratic or free school in the world. Summerhill is a collection of extracts from that dreadful school neill, 1937 and other papers produced by neill as he was always known. Neill, in full alexander sutherland neill, born oct. Childrens series about a school where the pupils make the rules. Childrens series about a school where the pupils make the rules and lessons are off the curriculum. Top kodi archive and support file vintage software community software apk msdos cdrom software cdrom software library. Zoe neill readhead welcome to our new centenary website which is commemorating one hundred years of a. I hold that the aim of life is to find happiness, which means to find interest. However officious ofsted inspector wharton regards it as a waste of money and a means of teaching.
Zoe is the principal of summerhill, a ninetyfour year old boarding school in leiston, england and the daughter of a. With olly alexander, annette badland, holly bodimeade, eliot otis brown walters. Now, this thoroughly expanded and revised version of the original summerhill reinstates the revolutionary free school traditions begun by summerhills founder a. Neill believed that, as of 1960, the school was no longer classified assuch. He took two jobs in journalism before world war i, and taught at gretna green village school in the first year of the war, writing his first book, a dominies log, as a diary of his life there as head. In 1921 he created the summerhill school so he could effectively practice his existentialistic philosophy. Founded in 1921, it is famous for the revolutionary educational theories of its headmaster, a. Neill summerhill a radical approach to child rearing c. Neill, summerhill has survived good times and bad over the years, including a well. Neill published1960 media typeprint pages392 dewey decimal 372. It was published in america on november 7, 1960, by the hart publishing company and later revised as summerhill school.
Known as the oldest childrens democracy in the world, summerhill allows pupils to. Neil was the person mainly responsible for this audacious undertaking, and his actions echo still to this day. Summerhill is a worldrenowned school in england where pupils decide when and what they will learn. Neills summerhill school the world famous free school founded in 1921.
The deposit fee is payable only when a place if offered to. Founded in dresden, germany in 1921 summerhill has survived against all the odds, having been pilloried by the press, misrepresented by the media and harried by her majestys school inspectors throughout its history. The system that summerhill employs is not only about education it is also a different way of parenting which eliminates most of the friction and many of the problems experienced by modern families. The deposit fee will be forfeited if a place has been accepted and the parent withdraws the pupil before he has taken up his place at the school. Summerhill school school, leiston, england, united. The primaryfunction of summerhill selfgovernment is not only to make laws but to alsodiscuss and.
This school was founded in england in 1921 by alexander neill for troubled kids. These meetings serve as both a legislative and judicial body. Neill put these ideas into practice at summerhill, a british boarding school that exists to this day. In his 1964 book about the project, neill explains how students are allowed to play roughandtumble games on the furniture which must be frequently replaced. Neill said, when we founded the school, we had one main idea. As american education lags behind the rest of the world, this new edition is more timely than ever. A visit to summerhill possibly the happiest school in. Neills summerhill school this is the official account of the oldest childrens democracy in the world, founded in 1921 by a. Psychologist diane baumrind once cited summerhill school as the flagship of permissive education.
An existential classroom is one in which students choose their preferred medium such as poetry, prose or painting and evaluate their own performance. Neill, the founder of the libertarian independent school summerhill, on the differences between its educational style and that of conventional schools. In the preface he briefly outlines the beginnings of summerhill and his own experiments with psychoanalysis before he realised that the children who didnt come for analysis were also cured. I am one among the self proclaimed lifechanged people. I dont recall how i learned about the summerhill school, but it really educated me as to how children learn. Neill as american education lags behind the rest of the world, this. Originally published in 1960, summerhill became an instant bestseller and a classic volume of education for an entire generation. The stories neill tells are eye opening and entertaining. Neill founded summerhill school in 1921 in hellerau near dresden, germany. Now its head, daughter of founder as neill, prefers to call it democratic, finds peter wilby. A new view of childhood, and at least four summerhillinspired schools in japan explain why, at. Now, this thoroughly expanded and revised version of the original summerhill reinstates the revolutionary free school traditions begun by summerhill s founder a.
As a high school teacher who already knew compulsory schooling is a form of violence, the book was an enjoyable read and it only confirmed what i already knew. Neill, the worldfamous headmaster of summerhill school. But unlike some permissive parents, summerhill never was. Neill started to search for premises in which to found a new school which he could run according to his. Raised in scotland, neill taught at several schools before attending the university of edinburgh in 19081912. Summerhill school, experimental primary and secondary coeducational boarding school in leiston, suffolk, eng. A radical approach to child rearing is a book about the english boarding school summerhill school by its headmaster a. Summerhill is described as a small, independent british boarding school situated in suffolk and it was founded by alexander sutherland neill in 1921, who displayed strong beliefs of democracy. Neill 18831973 scottish born and educated, neill founded summerhill school in suffolk where his iconoclastic views on education were given free rein. One movement that got its start decades earlier was popularized in the 60s when its founder a. Summerhill, whose headmistress is zoe redhead, is a seventy year old progressive school, run on cooperative lines with pupils having an equal say in its constitution. Although pupil numbers were small, neills numerous publications and lectures made him the best known british progressive educationist of the twentieth century. Summerhill school is known as the oldest childrens democracy in the world. Founded in 1921, it continues to be an influential model for progressive, democratic education around the world.
On the other hand, it was quite fascinating finding out about summerhill. Neill, who was named by the times educational supplement in 1999 as one of the twelve most influential educators of the 20th century. Summerhill is the oldest childrens democracy in the world. Neills summerhill school and their fight for survival against tony blairs labour government. The summerhill board requires a refundable deposit fee for all entrants to the school.
Neill, the schools founder and the author of many transformative books. Summer hill has been family owned and operated for over 30 years, providing educational and recreational activities year round. Summerhill school simple english wikipedia, the free. It is known for introducing his ideas to the american public. A coeducational boarding school in suffolk, england the original alternative free school. Neill discussed his thesis and explained that when he opened the. They dont think and reason as adults can, or as adults should. An overview of summerhill the original alternative free school. Summerhill school is an independent british boarding school which was founded in 1921 by a. He joined a dresden school in 1921 and founded summerhill on returning to england in 1924. Summerhill is often said to be the first school based on freedom and. Neil talks about freedom and his summerhill school in england. The teaching methods and curriculum are flexible, and the accent is on contemporary needs rather than the traditional classical course of studies, although those also. He believed the school should fit the child, not than the other way around.
201 1275 565 983 1002 1570 991 649 920 242 401 532 333 1305 194 242 766 1279 658 739 1571 1378 427 564 1454 176 1249 1321 701 425 1035 388 26 104