School represents a very important factor influencing the socialization of every person and hence the growth and development of society as a whole. If we really want to live in a world in which people can act responsibly and in a self-determined manner, then we need an educational environment which is itself based on these characteristics.Democratic education is synonymous with the right which every child has to self-determined learning. To ensure that children can actually exercise this right, one of the central principles of democratic education consists in maintaining a completely open attitude in respect of learning aims. This in turn is based on the conviction that children have a natural desire to learn, each one has his or her individual learning path and it is impossible to ‘improve’ this path by means of externally imposed curricula or targets.
Furthermore, it is recognized that each pupil has a right to participate in decision making processes. Each member of a school has a vote, and with it the right to have his or her opinions heard, to take responsibility for decisions and to influence policy.
There is no master plan which can give a definitive description of democratic education. What all democratic schools have in common is respect for children as well as recognition of the equal value of each human being irrespective of age, origin, sex and status. There is, however, considerable variation in the way these guiding principles are translated into daily school routine, how freedom to learn is actually realized and also in the democratic decision making processes.
Today, there are over 200 democratic schools throughout the world, including Germany, as well as many, many groups wishing to found such schools or in the process of doing so.
EUDEC, the European Democratic Education Community, is a fast-growing network of schools, organizations and individuals concerned with promoting democracy in schools and education in Europe. This community has elaborated the following definition:In democratic education young people have the right
- to decide how, what, when, where and with whom they learn, taking into account the limitations of what the school is actually able to offer, and
- to have an equal say in decision-making concerning how their schools are run, and what rules and sanctions, if any, are necessary.
Regular democratic meetings with one-person one-vote are a fundamental of Democratic Education. Democratic Education does not exist without them.
This definition for democratic education is generally aimed towards the school situation. The basic idea can be translated into other contexts such as day care centers, institutes of higher education and other organizations, but also within families and in homeschooling situations.
