Alternative school

Last updated

An alternative school is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional. [1] [2] Such schools offer a wide range of philosophies and teaching methods; some have political, scholarly, or philosophical orientations and foundings, while others are in response to a need for local or regional desire of diverse educational and vocational outcomes not necessarily fostered through mainstream or federally-regulated public schooling.

Contents

Some schools are based on pedagogical approaches differing from that of the mainstream pedagogy employed in a culture, while other schools are for gifted students, children with special needs, children who have fallen off the track educationally or expelled from their base school, children who wish to explore unstructured or less rigid system of learning, etc.

Features

There are many models of alternative schools but the features of promising[ clarification needed ] alternative programs seem to converge more or less on the following characteristics:

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, 'alternative school' refers to a school that provides a learner centered informal education as an alternative to the regimen of traditional education in the United Kingdom. [5] There's a long tradition of such schools in the United Kingdom, going back to Summerhill, whose founder, A. S. Neill, greatly influenced the spread of similar democratic type schools such as the famous Dartington Hall School, and Kilquhanity School, [6] both now closed. Currently there is one democratic primary school Small Acres, and two democratic secondary schools, Summerhill and Sands School. [7] There is also a range of schools based on the ideas of Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner. [8]

United States

In the United States, there has been tremendous growth in the number of alternative schools in operation since the 1970s, when relatively few existed. [9] [10] Some alternative schools are for students of all academic levels and abilities who are better served by a non-traditional program. Others are specifically intended for students with special educational needs, address social problems that affect students, such as teenage parenthood or homelessness, or accommodate students who are considered at risk of failing academically. [11] [12]

Another common element of alternative schools in the United States has been the use of community resource professionals in various disciplines who serve as instructors on a part-time, volunteer basis. [13] Depending upon the type of student going into an alternative school, [14] this has sometimes caused friction with the teachers in conventional schools. [15] The Leonia Alternative High School of the 1970s in New Jersey, which placed a heavy emphasis on the use of community resource instructors, ended up in a protracted battle with the local teachers union, [13] resulting in the school eventually closing. While alternative schools became more commonplace by the 1990s, there were still tensions between them and teachers unions regarding the teachers losing central control over such matters. [14]

Canada

In Canada, local school boards choose whether or not they wish to have alternative schools and how they are operated. The alternative schools may include multi-age groupings, integrated curriculum or holistic learning, parental involvement, and descriptive reports rather than grades. Some school systems provide alternative education streams within the state schools. [16]

In Canada, schools for children who are having difficulty in a traditional secondary school setting are known as alternate schools. [17]

Germany

Germany has over 200 Waldorf schools, including the first such school in the world (founded 1919), and a large number of Montessori schools. Each of these has its own national association, whereas most other alternative schools are organized in the National Association of Independent Alternative Schools (). Funding for private schools in Germany differs from Bundesland to Bundesland.

Full public funding is given to laboratory schools researching school concepts for public education. The Laborschule Bielefeld had a great influence on many alternative schools, including the renewal of the democratic school concept.

South Korea

In South Korea, alternative schools serve three big groups of youth. The first group is students who could not succeed in formative Korean education. Many of these schools serve students who dropped out during their earlier school years, either voluntarily or by disciplinary action. The second group is young immigrants. As the population of immigrants from Southeast Asia and North Korea is increasing, several educators started to see the necessity of the adaptive education, specially designed for these young immigrants. Because South Korea has been a monoethnic society throughout its history, there is not enough system and awareness to protect these students from bullying, social isolation, or academic failure. For instance, the drop-out rate for North Korean immigrant students is ten times higher than that of students from South Korean students because their major challenge is initially to adapt to South Korean society, not to get a higher test score. The other group is students who choose an alternative education because of its philosophy. Korean education, as in many other Asian countries, is based on testing and memorizing. Some students and parents believe this kind of education cannot nurture a student thoroughly and choose to go to an alternative school, that suggests a different way to learn for students. These schools usually stress the importance of interaction between other people and nature over written test results.

The major struggle in alternative schools in South Korea are recognition, lack of financial support, and quality gap between alternative schools. Although South Korean public's recognition to alternative education has deliberately changed, the progressive education still is not widely accepted. To enter a college, regular education is often preferred because of the nation's rigid educational taste on test result and record. For the same reason, South Korean government is not actively supporting alternative schools financially.

Hence, many alternative schools are at risk of bankruptcy, especially the schools that do not or cannot collect tuition from their students. Most Southeast Asian and North Korean immigrant families are financially in need, so they need assist from government's welfare system for their everyday life. It is clear that affording private education is a mere fantasy for these families. That phenomenon, at last, causes a gap among alternative schools themselves. Some schools are richly supported by upper-class parents and provide variety of in-school and after-school programs, and others rarely have resource to build few academic and extracurricular programs as such.

India

India has a long history of alternative schools. Vedic and Gurukul systems of education during 1500 BC to 500 BC emphasized on acquisition of occupational skills, cultural and spiritual enlightenment in an atmosphere which encouraged rational thinking, reasoning among the students. Hence the aim of education was to develop the pupil in various aspects of life as well as ensure social service. [18] However, with the decline of the local economies and the advent of the colonial rulers this system went into decline. Some notable reforms like English as the medium of instruction, were introduced as recommended in Macaulay's Minute in the year 1835. The mainstream schools of today still follow the system developed in the colonial era. In the years since independence, Government has focused on expansion of school network, designing of curriculum according to educational needs, local language as the medium of instruction, etc. By the end of nineteenth century, many social reformers began to explore alternatives to contemporary education system. Vivekananda, Dayanand Saraswati, Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule, Syed Ahmed Khan were the pioneers who took up the cause of social regeneration, removal of social inequalities, promotion of girl's education through alternate schools. [19] In the early twentieth century educationists create models of alternative schools as a response to the drawbacks to mainstream schools which are still viable. Rabindranath Tagore's Shanti Niketan, Jiddu Krishnamurthy's Rishi Valley School, Sri Aurobindo and Mother's Sri Aurobindo International Center for Education, and Walden's Path Magnet School are some of the examples. An upsurge in alternative schools was seen in 1970's onward. But most of the alternate schools are the result of individual efforts rather than government.

Alternative Education Programs

Alternative education programs are ideal for people who think college education is not a requirement for becoming successful entrepreneurs. These programs educate neophyte and experienced entrepreneurs while providing them with the necessary resources. An article published at Forbes.com last February 11, 2018 mentioned that many educational institutions contribute to their respective accelerator courses. [20] The University of Missouri System initiated the Ameren Accelerator which concentrates on energy startups and assists entrepreneurs in obtaining essential know-how about the industry from educator-partners at the university level. [21] There are international programs that also offer related resources like Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology in Ghana, Africa. It has an incubator program providing seed capital, training, and learning opportunities in a rigorous one-year program from outstanding students in the African region. [22]

The Huffington Post cited options in alternative learning like Home School, Micro Schooling, and Unschooling. [23] The concept of Unschooling means the student learns according to the way that person wants for specific reasons and choice. The individual gets help from teachers, parents, books, or formal classes but makes the final decision on how to proceed and according to his or her preferred schedule. [24] Micro-schools or independent free schools differ in approach, size, and authority. These are contemporary one-room schools, full-time or part-time facilities, or learning centers that are owned and managed by teachers or parents. [25] Some parents choose this non-traditional system over formal education because it teaches youngsters to look for practical solutions. The USA is attempting to serve an increasing number of a good number of at-risk students outside the conventional highs schools. There are Alternative Education Campuses that cater to dropouts or those who have been expelled from their schools. There are reportedly more than 4,000 AECs all over the country. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

Education reform is the name given to the goal of changing public education. The meaning and education methods have changed through debates over what content or experiences result in an educated individual or an educated society. Historically, the motivations for reform have not reflected the current needs of society. A consistent theme of reform includes the idea that large systematic changes to educational standards will produce social returns in citizens' health, wealth, and well-being.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to education:

Progressive education, or educational progressivism, is a pedagogical movement that began in the late 19th century and has persisted in various forms to the present. In Europe, progressive education took the form of the New Education Movement. The term progressive was engaged to distinguish this education from the traditional curricula of the 19th century, which was rooted in classical preparation for the early-industrial university and strongly differentiated by social class. By contrast, progressive education finds its roots in modern, post-industrial experience. Most progressive education programs have these qualities in common:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homeschooling</span> Education of children outside of a school

Homeschooling or home schooling, also known as home education or elective home education (EHE), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or online teacher, many homeschool families use less formal, more personalized and individualized methods of learning that are not always found in schools. The actual practice of homeschooling varies considerably. The spectrum ranges from highly structured forms based on traditional school lessons to more open, free forms such as unschooling, which is a lesson- and curriculum-free implementation of homeschooling. Some families who initially attended a school go through a deschool phase to break away from school habits and prepare for homeschooling. While "homeschooling" is the term commonly used in North America, "home education" is primarily used in Europe and many Commonwealth countries. Homeschooling should not be confused with distance education, which generally refers to the arrangement where the student is educated by and conforms to the requirements of an online school, rather than being educated independently and unrestrictedly by their parents or by themselves.

The philosophy of education is the branch of applied philosophy that investigates the nature of education as well as its aims and problems. It also examines the concepts and presuppositions of education theories. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws inspiration from various disciplines both within and outside philosophy, like ethics, political philosophy, psychology, and sociology. Many of its theories focus specifically on education in schools but it also encompasses other forms of education. Its theories are often divided into descriptive theories, which provide a value-neutral description of what education is, and normative theories, which investigate how education should be practiced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unschooling</span> Educational method and philosophy; form of homeschooling

Unschooling is a belief of self-driven informal learning characterized by a lesson-free and curriculum-free implementation of homeschooling. Unschooling encourages exploration of activities initiated by the children themselves, under the belief that the more personal learning is, the more meaningful, well-understood, and therefore useful it is to the child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Holt (educator)</span> American writer and educator (1923–1985)

John Caldwell Holt was an American author and educator, a proponent of homeschooling, and a pioneer in youth rights theory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tutoring</span> Private academic lessons

Tutoring is private academic help, usually provided by an expert teacher; someone with deep knowledge or defined expertise in a particular subject or set of subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montessori education</span> Teaching method encouraging autodidacticism

The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing real-world skills. It emphasizes independence and it views children as naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a sufficiently supportive and well-prepared learning environment. It also discourages some conventional methods of achievement, such as grades and tests.

Alternative education encompasses educational philosophy differing from mainstream pedagogy and evidence-based education. Such alternative learning environments may be found within state, charter, and independent schools as well as home-based learning environments. Many educational alternatives emphasize small class sizes, close relationships between students and teachers and a sense of community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedagogy</span> Theory and practice of education

Pedagogy, most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken as an academic discipline, is the study of how knowledge and skills are imparted in an educational context, and it considers the interactions that take place during learning. Both the theory and practice of pedagogy vary greatly as they reflect different social, political, and cultural contexts.

Deschooling is a term invented by Austrian philosopher Ivan Illich. Today, the word is mainly used by homeschoolers, especially unschoolers, to refer to the transition process that children and parents go through when they leave the school system in order to start homeschooling. The process is a crucial basis for homeschooling to work. It involves children gradually transitioning away from their schoolday routine and institutional mentality, redeveloping the ability to learn via self-determination, and discovering what they want to learn in their first homeschool days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa-Carleton District School Board</span> School board in Ontario, Canada

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board refers to both the institution responsible for the operation of all English public schools in the city of Ottawa, Ontario and its governing body. Like most school boards, the OCDSB is administered by a group of elected trustees and one director selected and appointed by the Board itself. Additionally, annually, two student trustees are selected per provincial regulation.

This is an index of education articles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic education</span> Schooling run as direct democracies

Democratic education is a type of formal education that is organized democratically, so that students can manage their own learning and participate in the governance of their educational environment. Democratic education is often specifically emancipatory, with the students' voices being equal to the teachers'.

Anti-schooling activism, or radical education reform, describes positions that are critical of school as a learning institution and/or compulsory schooling laws; or multiple attempts and approaches to fundamentally change the school system. People of this movement usually advocate alternatives to the traditional school system, education independent from school, the absence of the concept of schooling as a whole, or the right that people can choose how, where and with whom they are educated.

Educational Inequality is the unequal distribution of academic resources, including but not limited to school funding, qualified and experienced teachers, books, physical facilities and technologies, to socially excluded communities. These communities tend to be historically disadvantaged and oppressed. Individuals belonging to these marginalized groups are often denied access to schools with adequate resources and those that can be accessed are so distant from these communities. Inequality leads to major differences in the educational success or efficiency of these individuals and ultimately suppresses social and economic mobility. Inequality in education is broken down into different types: regional inequality, inequality by sex, inequality by social stratification, inequality by parental income, inequality by parent occupation, and many more.

Student-directed teaching is a teaching technology that aims to give the student greater control, ownership, and accountability over his or her own education. Developed to counter institutionalized, mass, schooling, student-directed teaching allows students to make their own choices while they learn in order to make education much more meaningful, relevant, and effective.

The legality of homeschooling in India and a plethora of alternative education schools spread over different states has been debated by educators, lawmakers, and parents since the passing of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) which makes formal education a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 and 14 and specifies minimum norms for schools. While the legality of homeschooling still remains a grey area, there have been petitions by parents and alternate schools in the past for granting relief. As per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which India is a signatory, quote: "Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children."

The Free School is the oldest independent, inner-city alternative school in the United States. Founded by Mary Leue in 1969 based on the English Summerhill School philosophy, the free school lets students learn at their own pace. It has no grades, tests, or firm schedule: students design their own daily plans for learning. The school is self-governed through a weekly, democratic all-school meeting run by students in Robert's Rules. Students and staff alike receive one equal vote apiece. Unlike Summerhill-style schools, the Free School is a day school that serves predominantly working-class children. Nearly 80 percent of the school is eligible for reduced-price meals in the public schools. About 60 students between the ages of three and fourteen attend, and are staffed by six full-time teachers and a number of volunteers.

References

  1. ↑ Definition of alternative school Archived 2008-10-13 at the Wayback Machine , accessed August 9, 2007. Archived 2009-10-31.
  2. ↑ Definition of alternative school, accessed August 9, 2007.
  3. ↑ Aron, L. (2009). Making Schools Different: Alternative Schooling in the USA. New Delhi: SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd.
  4. ↑ Vittachi, Sarojini., & Raghavan, Neeraja. (2007). Alternative Schooling in India. New Delhi: SAGE Publications.
  5. ↑ "alternative schooling". A Dictionary of Education. Ed. Elizabeth Wallace. Oxford University Press, 2009. ISBN   978-0-19-921207-1
  6. ↑ "Alternative school set to reopen", . BBC News. 23 March 2009.
  7. ↑ "List View - Schools & Start Ups". www.democraticeducation.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
  8. ↑ We’ll Fund Montessori And Steiner Schools, Say Tories Archived 2020-04-14 at the Wayback Machine Daily Express July 9, 2009
  9. ↑ Alternative Schools Adapt, by Fannie Weinstein. The New York Times, June 8, 1986, section A page 14.
  10. ↑ Conley, Brenda Edgerton (2002-01-01). "6". Alternative Schools: A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   9781576074404.
  11. ↑ Ormiston, Cameron K.; Pike, James R.; Sabado-Liwag, Melanie D.; Xie, Bin; Stacy, Alan W.; Williams, Faustine (2023-12-11). "Underage Alcohol Use by Intersectional Identity Among Alternative High School Students". The Journal of Adolescent Health. 75 (2): S1054–139X(23)00552–9. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.10.020 . ISSN   1879-1972. PMC  11164827. PMID   38085206.
  12. ↑ Ormiston, Cameron K.; Pike, James R.; Sabado-Liwag, Melanie D.; Kwan, Patchareeya; Xie, Bin; Stacy, Alan W.; Williams, Faustine (October 2024). "Generational Immigration Status Modifies the Association Between Psychosocial Distress and Substance Use Among Alternative High School Students". The Journal of Adolescent Health. 75 (4): 610–619. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.06.004. ISSN   1879-1972. PMID   39066754.
  13. 1 2 Shoup, Barbara J. (1978). Living and Learning For Credit. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa. pp. 26, 28–29. ISBN   0-87367-765-X.
  14. 1 2 Goodnough, Abby (September 10, 1995). "Schools: A Teaching Experiment From the 1970's May Hold Lessons for the Future". The New York Times. p. 13 (Section NJ).
  15. ↑ Broad, Lyn (1977). Alternative Schools: Why, What, Where & How Much. Education USA special report. National School Public Relations Association. p. 87.
  16. ↑ "Alternative". www.ocdsb.ca. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
  17. ↑ "Alternate Program". www.ocdsb.ca. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
  18. ↑ Agrawal, A.K. (2005). Development of Educational System in India New Delhi: Anmol Publications Pvt Ltd.
  19. ↑ Vittachi, Sarojini., & Raghavan, Neeraja. (2007).Alternative Schooling in India.New Delhi: SAGE Publications India Pvt. Ltd.
  20. ↑ Arruda, William. "Why Aspiring Entrepreneurs Should Put Their Education First". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  21. ↑ "Ameren Accelerator". www.umsl.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  22. ↑ "The Training Program | Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology". MEST Africa. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  23. ↑ Butch, Taylor (2016-07-08). "As the World Unfolds: A Secret Look Inside Alternative Learning". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  24. ↑ "Unschooling or Homeschooling". www.mhea.com. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  25. ↑ Ark, Tom Vander (2015-08-05). "Open a Micro-School: Here's How". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  26. ↑ "It's Time to Study Alternative Schools | Center on Reinventing Public Education". www.crpe.org. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 2018-06-11.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.