Homer Lanes Little Commonwealth and A.

S Neills Summerhill School

Essay on Homer Lanes Little Commonwealth and A.S Neills Summerhill School

Isaac Bruce

October 2009

2009 Isaac Bruce

Homer Lanes Little Commonwealth and A.S Neills Summerhill School

ABSTRACT We cannot be in total confidence of our educational system if there is a more creative and a predicted approach we could use to educate develop our children. My analysis and arguments on the concept of active citizenship and popular democracy have three main directions or objectives. First, it presents a summary on A.S Neills Summerhill School. Second, it explains with reference to Rousseau and Freud the reasons of adopting self government, and whether it can also be adopted in Ghana. Third, it shows how I can replicate these ideas in Ashesi university promote the sense of active citizenship. Keywords: active citizenship, popular democracy, self government, freedom, social life, law, free school INTRODUCTION This paper examines ideas and practice of active citizenship and popular democracy with reference to Homer Lanes Little Commonwealth and Alexander Sutherland Neills Summerhill School. Summerhill School is a model self governing school which is democratic in nature. Here, everyone has equal vote and also have the right to be treated equally and fairly under all conditions. As the name suggests Free School, every student has freedom with regards to their opinions, decisions and actions. Summerhill free school almost debates on everything from recruiting new staff members to bed time. Normally, we go and adopt what the majority says. Therefore the minority often goes unnoticed. WHY SELF-GOVERNANCE? The aim of this form of school was to give every child that enrolls maximum freedom to develop the child through encouraging selfexpression and curiosity. In short, the students are their own government and make laws to protect their social lives and the community. But who would enforce these self-made laws by the students and to hold them accountable to their words? In the free school system, everyone is responsible for him/herself and to the community as well; hence there is a balance between the general will and the selfish needs of individuals. I believe this system makes individuals generate a profound understanding of the rules and regulations they set for themselves. Sometimes with democracy, people do argue that it always favours the 2009 Isaac Bruce
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Homer Lanes Little Commonwealth and A.S Neills Summerhill School

majority and silences the minority. However, one thing I find very interesting from the Free School is that the views of the majority are often accepted by the minority. In cases where the minority does not accept this judgment they still see it as fair because is in the interest of the whole community. We acknowledge the essence of self government more when we have a sense of community in our personal laws where each individual takes responsibility for the actions of other people. According to A.S Neill, community living is infinitely more important in a childs education than all the textbooks in the world. In a community where you have to make your own laws to guard your social life depending on what you believe in, I agree with Neill that it is more important than any other thing. You therefore become accountable for your own decisions and laws. However, I disagree with A.S Neill regarding the ages of children who make their own personal decisions by voting during meetings and any other gatherings. No matter how a child has been exposed to or taught to make its own laws, that individual is still limited by age. I think children as young as seven casting their votes during meetings is nonsensical. Moreover, he also commented on children acting as judges when laws are broken. I like the way Summerhill involves almost every child in the decision making process however, their freedom and power will be meaningless if they are not taught how and when to exercise them. Apart from this concern, I think this practice will be beneficial to any individuals education and development. This system teaches the child first of all equality. The truth that human beings are created equal is evident in such an environment where everyone has the same vote or stake in making laws and decisions. The child eventually develops in a free environment to achieve, change and create anything they put their minds to. He made us to understand how the brain works to satisfy the id, ego and super ego. The id is the smallest that always craves for pleasure, the ego is the conscious and the reasoning part of the mind and the super ego is the ethical part that convicts the ego of shame and guilt.1 In Africa, Middle East and parts of Asia, students are only made to conform to the general will. For example, in the area of homosexuality, these societies frowns on this practice, therefore they have been reluctant to give the rights of homosexuals to live and even have a decent education. In this case, their personal pleasures are sacrificed to that of the society.
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Poynter M. Lecture Notes. Text and Meaning. Psychoanalysis.

2009 Isaac Bruce

Homer Lanes Little Commonwealth and A.S Neills Summerhill School

Nonetheless, self government is a more personal understanding of what governs you and living by it. This thrives in a society where there have been systematic effort to make students think for themselves and inspire them to live by these standards. This same understanding makes the individual conscious of its community. Therefore this individual will not only make laws to protect his/her social life but also that of the community. Hence there is little possibility that these laws will be broken based on the mutual benefit by the individual and the community. I find the ideas of Neill and Lane interrelated on many basis as selfgovernance, freedom and justice. First of all Homer Lanes experience with Little Commonwealth discovered that students above 13 years were seen as delinquent and decided to change this by giving them an approach as Neills Summerhill School that encouraged freedom and self-expression instead of imposing authority. They decided to adopt this approach primarily to remove the sovereignty from authorities and give children the maximum freedom, self-expression and a sense of curiosity to learn and develop, rather than concentrating on social demand and trying to fulfill them. This approach supports Rousseaus idea that our behaviour is dependent upon politics and bad politics can bring about negative attitude2. This means, the politics in the school results in the cause of students delinquency thus it can be addressed by good politics. Sigmund Freud also shares this same idea that the different forms of social restrictions often prevent our pleasure seeking ambitions to that of social demand3. Hence if our oppression becomes unbearable, it can lead into forms of neurotic behaviour and mental illness. For example about 2 years ago, a South Korean student of Virginia Tech shot 33 other students including himself. According to psychoanalysts, he has reserved pain for so long in his relationship and his rights as a gay student. Therefore his actions was declared as a result of mental illness, hence the news triggered some colleges and senior high schools in the U.S to be more concerned about the mental health of their students. Students of Ashesi should have no excuse not to abide by the laws they have approved for themselves. A classic example is Ashesi Honour Code. Ashesi has a strong and firm commitment to students freedom, self-expression and integrity. Therefore we have a
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Poynter M. Notes. Social Theory. Poynter M. Lecture Notes. Text and Meaning. Psychoanalysis

2009 Isaac Bruce

Homer Lanes Little Commonwealth and A.S Neills Summerhill School

responsibility to uphold this right by preserving it and holding everyone accountable for it. In order to sustain active citizenship on our campus, I think we should include it in the leadership course. Additionally, there should be a policy on active citizenship which should be spelt-out in the student handbook. Lastly, clubs and organizations on campus should have a systematic approach to redefining active citizenship in their speeches to students. I believe when these step are taken it will encourage a greater sense of active citizenship among students. In the long run, Ashesi students should be active citizens of Africa and the world at large. Whiles in Ashesi, I will like to achieve a vibrant and a challenging environment where we challenge minds to have freedom imagination, self-expression and a sense of curiosity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Summerhill School: A New View of Childhood Poynter M. Lecture Notes. Text and Meaning. Psychoanalysis Poynter M. Notes. Social Theory.

Requests for copies of this document can be directed to: Isaac Bruce Ashesi University Leadership Seminar || Email: isaac.bruce@ashesi.edu.gh
2009 Isaac Bruce
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