The air of Democratic School of Hadera, perhaps the entire area around it had the freedom of Tagore’s dream. The freedom one cannot really imagine unless they feel it and see it with their own eyes. Still, I am going to make an attempt to put down what I saw in words.
Democracy (defined as a practice or principle of social equality) is practised at its core in this place. Each individual, from a 4-year old student to Principal of the school has equal say in any decision that affects the school. Another founding principle is the belief that each child is unique and is capable to shape their life if given a chance. It takes time to really find one's passion, it's a hard, demanding and an endeavour that takes time. But when it happens, a child learns how to learn, knows what does it mean to search, so the path which appeared so meandering till now, suddenly becomes very directed, clear and expedited. But, it’s a bold idea, difficult to really apply and even harder to practice, for parents, teachers, students and governments.
What I found most difficult to make peace was with a 12- year old child who spent his entire day playing, moving from one game to another. When asked if he thinks he is making the best use of his time, his answer was a confident yes. He is just one of the other 300 children in the school who have full authority to decide their path and plan their day. The ease with which they all communicate with their teachers is the way children talk to their elder siblings, more like equals.
I will now detail a few features of this system.
Parliament
The school parliament is basically the governing body of the school which comprises of principal, parents, teachers and students. Each member of the parliament gets one vote and all votes weighs the same. The parliament meets every Tuesday and a list of agendas is shared beforehand. The people who care for that particular agenda can join the meeting, give their votes and accordingly decisions are made. Any new budget allocation has to pass through this process. Any dispute between teacher and student or among students is also dealt with here.
There are various committees elected by students responsible for the functioning of the school. Each committee comprises of students and sometimes a teacher. There is a committee for everything from organising school trips to hiring and firing staff. If need arises, new committees can be formed. The decision of the majority has to be complied by, even if individually you may not agree to it.
Mentor
Each child has a mentor whom they choose. Each child meets their mentor formally once a week and many times informally as he or she wishes to. The mentor's role is to ensure the child's well-being and is more like an adult friend.
The school is divided into houses - blue house for 4-7 year olds, yellow one for 8-12 year olds and so on with two adults in-charge. Each house offers age-appropriate tools, games, trips and other resources which the child may need. Each house has its own full fledged kitchen, bed, washrooms, study rooms, game room to cater to need of its occupant. The kids have to go to their house in-charge when they come to school to mark their presence.
Autonomy
The children can be seen playing the whole day, it is like an 8 hours recess. They are also seen dancing, working on computers, reading and some of them moving from one lesson to another. At the core, it is they who decide.
Co-existence
The children in the lessons are mostly focussed. They are either listening to the teacher or they are working. If they are stuck they are talking to a peer, but in quite a professional manner, where respect for the surrounding is clearly visible. The need for classroom management was missing. There was no accumulated energy that needed expression which generally is the cause of distraction and noise in the class. They were all in that place because they wanted to be there.
The movement across all ages is free and many a time older children teach younger ones, which eliminates the aspect of bullying.
Fearless
The interactions with adults and visitors were unfiltered and honest. The students were very honest in sharing what they like and dislike about the school. They freely shared their journey and lacked a need to please the adult in the room.
Respect
The most important aspect of the place was mutual respect and absolutely no hierarchy. It was not about respecting the place or resources. It was more about respecting the existence and respecting the differences and above all respecting self. Respect was something so ingrained somehow, that there was no mention of it. It was more like they are in the energy of that space.