Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Child Rearing [B1866]

1960 PB, fully legible with some wear (see photo). Publisher Harold Hart approached Neill to write about his controversial school, & together compiled this book from Neill's other works, which became the number one nonfiction bestseller in the USA. The effect of the book helped to promulgate Neill's educational theories, as well as revive the flagging attendance at the long-running experimental school that he had founded in 1921 in Germany in conjunction with the Neue Schule, before moving to England in 1923. From the back of the book: "SUMMERHILL is perhaps the most unusual school in the world. Here's a place where children are not compelled to go to class -they can stay away from lessons for years, if they want to. Yet, strangely enough, the boys and girls in this school LEARN! In fact, being deprived of lessons turns out to be a severe punishment. Summerhill has been run by A. S. Neill for almost forty years. This is the world's greatest experiment in bestowing unstinted love and approval on children. This is the place where one courageous man, backed by courageous parents, had the fortitude to actually apply-without reservation-the principles of freedom and non-repression. The school runs under a true children's government where the 'bosses' are the children themselves. Despite the common belief that such an atmosphere would create a gang of un-bridled brats, visitors to Summerhill are struck by the self-imposed discipline of the pupils, by their joyousness, and good manners. These kids exhibit a warmth and lack of suspicion toward adults which is the wonder and delight of even official British school investigators." Summerhill School is still operating today, in Leiston, Suffolk, England.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "A great option for improving education. I read this book about 40 years ago. Ordered it again to remind myself the schoolroom is often not the best environment for active, growing, curious kids. A grand experiment, with lessons for us all... . . as teachers, parents, and administrators."; "Tells the story of the truly radical Summerhill school. Having existed since 1921, it means there are children who are truly suited to its methods. In this book, Mr. Neill, Summerhill's founder and author, chronicles the dynamics of life at Summerhill and how he deals with children who are labeled as problematic."; "Maybe the most important postulate that guides Neill's philosophy is that as long as children are given enough freedom, they will grow into balanced human beings that will be happy. The second biggest postulate is that children are born good, there are no bad children only bad parenting and education. As much as this experiment of education in the early 20th century seems appealing there are as Neill would implicitly note several problems with growing and educating children in this manner and that is of the remaining society. As much as it seems that children will grow resilience when faced with the rest of society they learn that the world doesn't work in the way they were educated. And because of the same reasons Summerhill remains an experiment isolated on an 'island', and something that would be equal to Peter Pan's Neverland, a utopian and isolated place. This still remains for me personally a radically positive overview of the purpose of education and the true nature of children; If given the proper conditions they will grow into balanced and happy human beings."