Self Regulation at Summerhill School. I had not heard of Summerhill
before I picked up this book, though with my godchild approaching the
Age of Formal Schooling I have become more aware of alternativess to
the sort of education I received (an equal mix of private and public
school). Founded by A.S. Neill in 1921, Summerhill is a British
school that lives by the belief that children are inherently good and
capable of governing themselves with little adult involvement.
Appleton writes from the perspective of someone who himself had a
difficult time in a traditional educational environment, but I am
someone who did fairly well in the enforced structures of school so I
sometimes found his stances a little bombastic. However, he also
obviously loves kids and wants the best for them, and after spending
nine years at Summerhill as a houseparent he can make a strong case
for the school's principles.