An Oasis Of Education Desert: A Study On Summerhill School

Today, Chi’nas school education which has disgressed from the fundamental purpose ofeducation by lack of vitality and creativity and being inflexible and utilitarian. Those basichuman needs such as love, freedom and creativity, emotion and spirit，democracy and equality,personality and dignity are often denied, repressed, alienated and distorted‘All participants ineducational activities are living in the high-pressure environment. Teachers and parents taketurns playing the role of pressure and pressure-assist. Young students who have no ability toresisit have become the suffocated oppressed, the puppet who is at the "mark’s beck and call",the tamed man under the hawk education. Under incandesent state, China’s education needs for abreath of fresh air or impact promoting everyone to rethink the nature and essence of education.Now, the air bolws from a school called Summerhill.Founded in1921, Summerhill school is known as the world’s oldest children’s democraticschool. Based on the principle Neill’s understanding of education:love, democracy and freedom,the school aims to cultivate students’ creativity and perfect personality by empasizing the equalteacher-student realationship and democratic autonomy. This thesis including four patrs is thethoroughly study of Summerhill school. The research first systematically introduces the fact ofSummerhill school founded and developed.The main content includes history, educationalphilosophy, the content of education and teaching methods. After a preliminary understanding ofSummerhill school, the reasearch introduces several other Summerhill-style free schools in theworld. These schools are all inspired by Neill’s Summerhill school and palying a positive role intheir respective countries thus get the idea of the influence of Neill’s Summerhill school on theworld. Atfer a complete understanding of Summerhill school, objectively analysis the efforts anddeficiences of Neill’s theory and practice in Summerhill school and eventually point out thethings we can learn from Neill and his Summerhill.This study suggests that: as a brave attempt "let the school fit the students"，the schoolconfirms the role of liberal education on student development Its emphasis on the emotional andpsychological needs of students and let students practice autonomy are what we can learn. However, there are certain preconditions of Summerhill’s success. Especially its extremeeducational philosophy and aissez-faire style of education and ignorance of knowledge-teachingare what we should avoid.