Abstract
John Holt asks, “How can children be expected to take school learning seriously when no one except children has to do it?” This chapter examines this question by exploring historical examples of schools that make a deliberate effort to engage adults and local communities in the educational process. The particular examples treated are (1) the Adult Schools Movement in the early years of the twentieth century in England; (2) the Highlander School, founded 1932 in southern Tennessee; and (3) the Reggio Emilia approach to education, developed in Italy following the Second World War. These three examples obviously cover a range of a different practices and beliefs, and come from very different circumstances. At the same time, there are connecting threads, notably a commitment in education to social action; connections between educational institutions and wider communities; and a dedication of formal education to purposes greater than individual academic achievement.
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Notes
- 1.
John MacMurray is often referenced as a “Quaker philosopher” with strong interests in education. His philosophical writings certainly chime with the Quaker faith and practice, although were largely complete by the time he joined the Society of Friends. For further information, see (Fielding 2007).
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Herrick, T. (2016). All-Age Schooling: Alternatives from History. In: Montgomery, A., Kehoe, I. (eds) Reimagining the Purpose of Schools and Educational Organisations. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24699-4_18
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