Summerhill

When I was at college, training to be a teacher, back in the early seventies I read A S Neil's book about the 'progressive' school , Summerhill and produced an essay with my comments about this way of educating children. The idea of lessons not being compulsory and students attending lessons because they want to learn was always at the back of my mind during thirty two years of teaching and , I think, shaped a lot of the way I approached teaching as an art teacher. I never believed, for instance, that you can force students to produce creative art work. Sure, you can teach them techniques, which can fill many lessons and fill the required folders for GCSE etc but to be creative and to begin to develop some original thinking through art requires a different sort of approach. The problems involved in teaching art, or any subject for that matter, in an average comprehensive often have a negative effect on creativity. Class size, limited time structure, lack of good materials, space and of course the fact that probably fifty per cent of the class would prefer to be somewhere else. Several years ago, schools in the area would all give one week per year to 'Activities week'. This was one week in the year that was working in school but under a completely different structure. Students would opt in to various 'lessons' or activities and pursue different objectives without the restrictions of a set six lesson per day timetable. Film making, art residentials, technology projects, drama productions, science projects, language exchanges, community projects etc could all take place during this special week. Students would not be required to wear uniform and would work on one or more activities during the week. At the end of the week there would be final displays and performances. Students, in the main, chose things they really wanted to develop or improve in or had a real interest in, and surprise, surprise discipline was never an issue. We all had a great learning experience. Obviously, this type of set up requires an immense amount of preparation and often special resources and a huge commitment by the teachers as well as the students. The pressure from the government over the years to squeeze every ounce from schools through the introduction of the 'National Curriculum' and the various accountability that requires has seen special weeks of alternative learning disappear because they don't quite fit the mould. In many schools and colleges even school drama and music productions, art festivals and projects have become far fewer simply because they take up too much time or too much space or perhaps teachers have too little time left for them. Either way, its a great pity these events are being cut back or lost. It is a loss for the students, the teachers, the schools and their communities. Perhaps it is ok that our kids are in a class for six hours a day learning. After all they need their GCSE's don't they? One of the main things I have observed during my teaching years is the way that students will respond extremely positively once they have something to be responsible for. For example, a problem student given an important part in a play, or displaying their weeks art work, or helping in a community building project, or mentoring other students etc. As soon as students feel valued and are given some responsibility they begin to learn how to make the most of their time in school, however that is organised, and I know that they learn more effectively when they choose to opt in to lessons... I would be interested to recieve any comments on these thoughts......