Schooling as Growth - Essay Example

But the present trend seems to be upbeat on everything else except in the field of education. Education today is based and defined more in terms of stringent testing and examinations and a person is valued according to the number of qualifications he/she has. Airing his views Anron Falbel stated that, “Today our social environment is thoroughly polluted by education – a designed process in which one group of people (educators, social engineers, people shapers) try to make another group (those who are to be “educated”) learn something usually without their consent, because they (the educators) think it will be good for them.

” (Anron Falbel) Most of the schools fall within these parameters and there seems to be no release from its destructive grip. Educationists and parents are beginning to realize that this is not what they want for their children. The answer to their prayer comes in the form of democratic schools. There are many such schools across the globe in places like Japan, Israel, Thailand and New Zealand. One such ancient and very popular school is “Summerhill” which comes in like a breath of fresh air to fill that vacant void.

This school which is one of the most famous schools in the world was founded in 1921 and is situated on the East coast of England. Summerhill School’s democratic approach that is based on the Philosophy of A.S. Neill has influenced scores of educational institutions around the world. Education at Summerhill is community based with most of the children coming from diverse backgrounds and boarding in the school premises. There is no strict syllabus drawn up and children are never pushed or compelled to study.

They are free to choose what they want to study and when they want to study. According to a professor at Summerhill, lessons are not mandatory but it is more about inculcating the right values in the