that children themselves know best what is good for them.

孩童知道什麼是自己需要的

The job of a school is to provide a democratic structure

孩子才是最清楚

in which kids can discover their interests

自己想要的 是什麼的人

and learn how to live in a community that solves conflicts together.

學校的工作

The ideal: to grow up in absence of fear and to become responsible,

是提供一個民主的環境

empathic and self-determined citizens.

讓孩子去探索自己的興趣和愛好

The idea is not new.

並且學習

In 1693 the philosopher John Locke wrote that

如何在一個共同解決衝突的群體裡生活

"things children learn, should never be a burden to them."

這樣的理想

Some 200 years later

是讓孩子在沒有恐懼的環境裡

the writer Leo Tolstoy opened a school for peasant children on his estate in Russia.

長成有責任心

The school evolved from ideas introduced by teachers and pupils.

有同理心

One of the principles was that the students had the right to not listen to the teacher.

並且有自我決策能力的公民

The first democratic school that still exists, is Summerhill in Suffolk, England.

這樣的教育理念 由來已久

It was founded in 1921 by A.S. Neill

早在1693年

who believed that a school should be made for the child, rather than the other way around.

哲學家 約翰 · 洛克 就曾寫下這麼一段話

Class attendance is voluntary.

“學習的過程, 不應該成為孩子的負擔”

Some children may spend weeks in the woods or do nothing all day,

大約過兩百年後

while others choose to learn math or try out reading class.

俄國作家托爾斯泰

When they grow older many turn to traditional subjects with full focus

在他自己的土地上

when they realise that they need them for college entrance exams.

為社會最底層家庭的孩子開設了一間學校

At weekly school meetings, staff and students gather to solve conflicts.

這間學校

Once a conflict is brought to the meeting,

完全依照學生與老師的想法 發展成形

everybody in the school can speak up, mediate or come up with a solution.

其中一個原則就是

After the conflict was discussed and democratically processed,

學生有權利不聽老師的話

harsh feelings are often buried and staff and students leave peacefully.

早期開設的民主教育學校裡

The meetings are also used to work on the school regulations

依然健在的

and anybody can make a proposal for a change of the rules.

就是英國的夏山學校

If one student requests a change,

在1921年 由亞歷山大 · 尼爾創立

members discuss and then decide by popular vote whether the new idea will be implemented.

他相信

Sometimes the kids may vote for the abolishment of all rules.

學校應該被設計來滿足孩子的需求

But after a few days of total chaos,

要不要進教室上課 由學生自己決定

students usually use the same democratic process to re-implement order.

有些夏山的孩子成天待在樹林裡玩耍

Almost as if they all naturally seek structure.

或整天無所事事

In the 1960s young educators from all over

在此同時

took inspiration from Summerhill and opened so called “free schools”.

其他的孩子可能自主選擇去上數學或是閱讀課

One was the Sudbury Valley School which was founded in Massachusetts, United States.

但當他們大一點之後

Sudbury took the ideals of a democratic education even further.

發現想要參加大學入學考試

Once a year the school meeting is used to re-elect teachers and principals.

他們也可以認真拿起書本來研讀一般的學科

Those that don’t receive majority vote will be replaced.

夏山每週一次的全校會議

Today there are many independent Sudbury and other democratic schools

是教職員與學生一起開會解決衝突的時候

all over the world spanning from Brazil to Israel to Thailand.

當一個問題被提出來之後

Using different structures,

每個人都可以表達意見

they all promote the idea that students and teachers should have an equal say in what to learn

從中斡旋

and how to work with each other.

或提出解決的辦法

The goal is to give children a deep sense for equality and justice.

當問題以民主的方式討論與解決之後

Albert Einstein famously said: “The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education”.

當事人心裡就不會再有疙瘩

What do you think,

而大家又可以和平的生活在一起

would a democratic education work for you?

這個會議也被用來制定校規

Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

而且每個人都可以提出更改校規的意見