Designing democratic schools and learning environments : a global perspective

This open access book explores democratic schools and learning environments globally.

The book focuses on a newly developed framework for democratic education.

The authors describe existing schools and concept schools—those that are ideas but not in operation.

The first section includes the editors’ own journeys.

Pillar 1  includes schools that emphasize the open flow of ideas and choices, regardless of their popularity.

Pillar 2 maintains that it is impossible to have a high quality education that ignores equity.

Chapters explore how many diverse ‘marginalized’ communities experience education and some innovations that hold great promise for inclusion.

Pillar 3 provides examples of schools where active engagement, consensus and compromise support the ‘common good.’ Pillar 4 investigates schools which organize students, parents, social institutions and the larger community collaboratively to achieve its goals and to solve theirs and society’s most urgent challenges.