The Institute for Democratic Education in America (IDEA) defines democratic education as, “Learning that equips every human being to participate fully in a healthy democracy.” IDEA goes on to eloquently point out that:
“A democracy is a system in which the people have power and are able to exercise it. Democratic education incorporates the principles of a healthy democracy: students have an active role in shaping their own learning, rather than being passive recipients of knowledge. They are participants and citizens, each with unique gifts, not empty vessels or products on an assembly line.”
Image ©weliton via sxc.
How public school education works:
Most traditional public schools teach kids to do what the teacher, or some other adult says, even if the kid has other, better ideas about how to spend his time. Kids who don’t do as they’re told are labeled as trouble-makers. Public schools divide kids up into very specific age and ability groups. In some cases those ability groups aren’t very nice either (consider terms like, “D students” or “Slow learner“).
Public schools, for the most part, don’t recognize that kids can learn in many different ways. For example, some kids are visual learners, some kids are very hands-on learners and some kids like to do structured worksheets and tests.
Instead of individualizing the learning process for kids, most public schools line kids up and teach as if they were managing an assembly line of cookie-cutter kids. It’s not always the school’s fault or a particular teacher’s fault. There are simply too many students, not enough time, and a slew of rules schools have to follow to gain funding. Cookie cutter education is usually all public schools can manage.
How democratic education is different from public school education:
Democratic education is a very different educational process than the public school educational process. Democratic schools don’t tell kids what to do and when to do it, instead democratic education empowers youth of all ages to make their own decisions about what, how and when they’d like to do something.
Democratic schools value the fact that not all kids learn in the same way or at the same time. There is no cookie cutter norm at a democratic school, which allows for creative thinking on everyone’s part – kids included. Each child is respected, supported and allowed to make mistakes without fear of labels or hurtful comments.
Democratic education allows youth to learn how to become autonomous and responsible members of their school community, their local community and eventually, the world at large.
To learn more about democratic education visit The Institute for Democratic Education in America. Better yet, if you’re in PDX, you can come see democratic education in action at Village Free School.
Village Free School image ©Flickr user artfulblogger
