Democratic Free Schools

  While Locke and Rousseau both emphasized the importance of consent in education, the Democratic Free School movement most likely started with the Laboratory School of 1896, founded by John Dewey. It itself was run as a student-led republic, complete with being run by a parliment staffed and elected by the students.


  Society moved beyond that, and currently, a school is considered a Democratic Free School if...

 • It is operated on a one child, one vote basis, and...

 • A student does not have to attend class.

  Unfortunately for us poors, they tend to also be private schools and charge tuition, although you might be able to move your school board in that direction or operate your homeschooling tutoring cooperative as a democratic free school.


  It's a fairly large international movement. While we do not certify any of the following groups, nor they us, current institutions include...

International Democratic Education Network
https://www.idenetwork.org/

European Democratic Education Community
https://eudec.org/

Democratic Education Ireland
https://www.democraticeducation.ie/

Institute for Democratic Education
https://www.democratic.co.il/en/ide/

Alternative Education Resource Organization
https://www.educationrevolution.org/store/findaschool/democraticschools/


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