What is the democratic school
The current of the democratic school maintains that schools must stop being hierarchical and apply democratic principles in their structure and way of working. To do this, it is encouraged that the participation of both students and teachers will be free and equal in decision-making regarding organi
The current of the democratic school maintains that schools must stop being hierarchical and apply democratic principles in their structure and way of working.
To do this, it is encouraged that the participation of both students and teachers will be free and equal in decision-making regarding organization and learning. With this type of education, free and self-motivated learning is encouraged, which will stimulate the children's curiosity and interests.The origin of the democratic school
The first democratic schools emerged in the seventeenth century but did not begin to develop and proliferate until the nineteenth century. For many years there have been continuous debates about its effectiveness in terms of content and personal and professional development of students.
Nowadays, the democratic school is one of the "alternative school" options that we can find. The objective of this type of schools is shared, and it will be to carry out a different education than the one where it is:
- Learning is sought through emotion. - You learn from experience, and not memorizing.- It teaches to collaborate and not to compete.
- The rhythms of each child are respected .
- Errors are seen as a part of learning.
- Creativity is neither restricted nor stimulated early. It is left to be.
- The involvement of families is sought.- Nature is an important part, as a fundamental space within education.
Characteristics of the democratic school
The democratic school continues to be a minority option (and not, therefore, worse) with respect to the majority. The characteristics that define it and make it different from the others are the following: El - The game as an important part in learning.
In democratic education, spaces are encouraged in which free play can be given without being directed. It is the child who will choose what he plays and how much he plays. There will be no restriction. It differs from other more mainstream alternatives in that the latter see this type of free play as a waste of time and defend that the game must have an "explicitly" educational character.
- A different curriculum.
The prescribed educational curriculum is not applied. Learning is voluntary and therefore, each one is responsible for their own education. That is, each child is the one who decides what, when, how and with whom he learns. Thus, according to this educational trend, the exchange of ideas and conversation among students is encouraged, with the "elders" being the tutors of the youngest children, so that they can find their own interests.
- Does not qualify.
In the absence of a curriculum, there is no qualifying evaluation. It will be very complicated to qualify the child according to the achievements that he acquires since they only perform the exams that the state demands. - Regarding the punishments
. In this type of school there are punishments and sanctions. It is the figure of the mediator who appears to listen to both parties to try to reach a consensus solution. If this is not possible, an assembly will be created that concludes who has acted improperly and imposes punishment. - The figure of the teacher.
The image of the authoritarian teacher who knows what is good and bad for the students is left behind. The teacher should treat the child as an equal. Accompany the child leaving the maximum freedom giving the necessary security so that the child can manage that freedom.
