IN THEIR essay titled, “The case Of Democratic Schools”, authors James A. Beane and Michel W. Apple talk of reforms in the government schools and their democratization rather than encouraging privatization of school education and the voucher system.

 

The authors say that in midst of the wide spread attacks on education, there was a need to keep alive the ‘long tradition of democratic school reform’ rather than ‘moving towards privatization’. Thus, the authors urge the public not to fall for such ‘market initiatives such as voucher plans or for-profit public schools run private firms.’

 

Beane and Apple advocate there is a need for better management of government schools through serious reform initiatives involving teachers, administrators, parents, community activists and students. Where ever the schools and the community are brought together, the ‘teachers and students alike are engaged in serious work that result in rich and vital experience for all’.

 

“It is not surprising, then, that the word ‘democracy’ seems to be heard more frequently these days. At many places around the world, oppressed people struggle for human rights. Amid this dissonance, the idea of democracy presumably serves a crucial benchmark for judging events and ideas,” hold the authors while stressing the democratization of schools and their functioning through a firm ‘faith in individual and collective capacity of people to create possibilities for resolving problems’.

 

According to the authors, democratic schools do not happen by chance; rather such schools are created through explicit efforts and hard work of educators and managers by putting in place a system and opportunities that will bring democracy in the school environment.  And curriculum meant to impart democratic experiences to students.

 

The essay reviewed here is the part of the book “Democratic Schools: Lessons from the Chalk Phase” is an Eklavaya Pulication for its Indian edition of whom the authors of this essay are also the editors. In all, there are six essays with case illustrations of successful government schools running on democratic principles. The book must be read by both by the educational planners, administrators and teachers for democratic and curricular reforms in government schools which serve the masses.