Protecting Democratic Schools

We, the undersigned, urge the UN, UNESCO and all the governments around the world to value and protect democratic schools and those based on children's rights.

This is an urgent need as at a time when governments and the UN are discussing how we can learn to live together in peace, how can we strengthen democracy and the rights of the individual through education, there are schools around the world based on rights and democracy that are threatened with closure.

Summerhill School, England, is the oldest school in the world based on children's rights. The British Government, through its Department of Education and inspection system, threatened it with closure last year. Summerhill won its case in the Royal Courts of Justice and is now the most protected school in Britain. But it ONLY won because it is famous throughout the world, supported by the UN, many politicians and educators, and managed to raise over 160,000 to pay for the country's best barrister and solicitor.

(see website http://www.s-hill.demon.co.uk)

Most democratic schools can not get the same national and international support as Summerhill, and will be closed without such support.

Two schools threatened with closure at the moment are:

1. Auckland Metropolitan College is threatened because Government Inspectors are using criteria for inspection that are not appropriate to the college.

(see website http://www.metro.school.nz)


2. Pei Cheng Autonomous Experimental School, Taiwan is being threatened with closure because of a new Mayor in Jan 2000, Ma Yin Chiu, refusing to let the school register new students. The school had the full support of the previous mayor, Chen Shui Bien.

(see website http://www.first-ask.de/pei-cheng)

To find out more about democratic schools around the world you can visit:

http://www.educationrevolution.org