Summerhill Education

The author further discusses some schools similar to Anne Fox Elementary School, that have transformed and really became the academic haven for children, paving newer paths of success for their students. It gives an overview of the other chapters and lists some great changes that had taken place when these schools really adopted the principle, and the results they had received from making a change in their system. It goes to show that when our systems aren't working in terms of helping children meet their goal it is very important for us to become open to change and really believing that change and success in any child are possible as long as we believe in them. Becoming a supportive adult can make the biggest difference in a child. From this chapter I learned that being open-minded, researching new ways to improve, accepting our mistakes can really change our effectiveness in the lives of the children around

An education provides people not only with the academic skills required, but also the social skills such as having the self confidence and belief in ones self to achieve a fulfilling and happy life. It is every child’s human right to receive such an education from early years to higher, and therefore several stages in which they must travel for this to happen.

I feel that the goal of education is to open up a world of possibilities for learners. The purpose of education is to show someone that they have the ability to do and be whomever they want to. Education is simply there for bettering oneself and one’s world.

The school is the secondary agent of socialisation that children introduced to throughout growing up. School socialises children in many different ways. Children in this period of socialisation (The School) learn to become a productive member of the society, formal set of skills and knowledge such as writing, reading and maths, and strength their socials abilities by interacting with colleagues and schoolteachers. But mainly children learn that in society everyone’s equal regardless of how special they’re in their families. (Barkan 2012, p. 127)

Prior to higher education, students attend primary and secondary school for a combined total of 12 years. Educational systems are to ensure the future generation of citizens technologically advanced skills to be productive members of the society. The mission of schools are to create sharp thinkers by means of maximizing their students’ academic and social development (Working, 1906). In focusing on this mission, occasional misbehaviors by the students or school personnel cause districts to investigate violations and mete out punishment.

But to fix the problems and to serve the students we must first have a vision of what good education is (Ravitvch). What is a good education? A good education isn’t just learning and comprehending, a good education should also teach us how to work well with others, to use our common sense, to expand our range of friends and how we think. Now, what are the goals of a true education? The goals of a true education are learning how to work for yourself by yourself, to grow and adapt as a whole person, to build up your character, and to have a desire to learn more. If our schools were to meet the goals of a true education, it would leave us with a thirst for knowledge that leaves you restless at night, that only education can fulfill.

The aims for the children at Parkhill School are to increase each pupils understanding of the world around them and to provide each pupil with the appropriate balance of both challenge and support in the learning, to provide for the spiritual, moral, intellectual and physical development of the pupils regardless of their disability, gender, race or ethnic background.

During the 1950s, the Smiths moved into the Summerhill Community in Atlanta, Georgia in search of a better life for their children. Summerhill was a predominately black family oriented community where racism and classicism was not an issue or tolerated. The Smiths determination to provide their children a secure and safe environment filled with positive images of African-American people was important to them. Smith and her sibling grew up in a neighborhood that promoted family. The children of Summerhill were free to play and move around the neighborhood with no restrictions or limitations because of the color of their skin. The Smiths surrounded their children with positive black role models within the community, at school and at church.

The goals of education are controversial and not many people can agree on what they are. A commonly shared opinion of the “purpose of education is to prepare students for the “real world” to “succeed””. Children are constantly being prepared for the workforce and what will

“ …our image of the child is rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent and most of all, connected to adults and other children”. Malaguzzi (as cited in Dahlberg, Moss and Pence, 2007, p.48).

Getting educated is very important for every person. It goes without saying that each of us has to have a proper education. We learn how to read, count and write. These are the basic abilities we acquire and use during our life. Is there any other purpose of education or it is aimed only at giving us a possibility to communicate our ideas and satisfy basic needs? During centuries, there were different interpretations of the purpose of education. Many scientists, pedagogues and philosophers tried to answer the question: what is the purpose of education? Taking into consideration the needs and tendencies of a modern society, we can assume that the purpose of education is to prepare students to be self-sufficient citizens capable of solving

I cannot write this essay without reference to study of my own experienced and my daughter’s- placed in the harsh environment of the government schooling system and its observations of the stark belief systems of “the child to fit the system” and not “the system to fit the child” with reference to the what education should be about. This means different things to different people. To some this means a teacher teaching and passive learning taking place, the outcome is expected at the end of each year that each child has to achieve the same outcome and is graded accordingly.

The aim of education is the systematic process where an adult or child acquires knowledge, skills and understandings. Education is also to guide and enhance children into people which can contribute to society. All activities within education, in the fields of either Science, Mathematics or

Nowadays, there are more and more people educated in different degrees and different ways. It seems that "education" has become a common word in daily life and it seems to be easy to understand. In fact, education, as a social activity, with a long history of development, a complex and diverse internal structure, interacts with other social activities in multilevel and multifaceted way.

"Within the child lies the fate of the future. Whoever wishes to confer some benefit on society must preserve him from deviation and observe his natural ways acting. A child is mysterious and powerful and contains within himself the secret of human nature."