IDEN

There are over 200 places offering democratic education in more than 30 countries, working with over 40,000 students

Democratic school in Australia :   Booroobin Sudbury Democratic Centre of Learning

Address:  29 - 45 Skerman Lane, Booroobin, Queensland 4552, Australia

Contact:   Derek Sheppard

Email:    office@sudval.org updated details

Telephone:    61 07 54 999944

Website:    www.booroobin.com

Number of Students:    Age range 4 - 19

Languages:    English

Principles:    Young people learn what they need to know, asking questions, thinking for themselves, making choices about what they learn and how they spend their time, taking responsibility for all the out
comes. It is run democratically by the Students and the elected Staff, with support from parents.

Democratic school in Australia :   Brisbane Independent School Updated Details

Address:  2447 Moggill Road, Pullenvale, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Contact:   Jenny Mansfield

Email:    bis@uq.net.au

Telephone:    00 61 07 3378 5466

Website:    www.bis.primetap.com

Number of Students:    31        Age range: 5 - 12

Languages:    English

Principles:    A BIS education is about freedom to make self-aware choices that empower us to follow our passions. These values permeate every facet of our parent-managed school, student meetings and staff council.

Democratic school in Australia :   Currambena Pre-School and Primary

Address:  205 Longueville Road, Lane Cove, Sydney, NSW 2066, Australia

Contact:   Christina

Email:    enquiries@currambena.nsw.edu.au

Telephone:    0061 9427 0644

Website:    www/currambena.nsw.edu.au

Number of Students:    100 Age range 3- 13

Languages:    English

Principles:    Established in 1969 and run by an elected parent/teacher council. Decisions made democratically throughout the school including at class and school meetings. Basic principles: respect for individuals, whole child development, valuing trust and building relationships, open communication.

Democratic school in Argentina :   Escuela de la Nueva Cultura La Cecilia
Updated details

Address:  Ruta Provincial N° 5 Km 3, 3014 Monte Vera, Santa Fe, Argentina

Contact:   Ginés del Castillo

Email: info@lacecilia.org

Telephone: +54 342 4904151

Website: www.lacecilia.org

Number of Students:    90

Age range: 3 -19

Languages:    Spanish

Principles:    Freedom, respect, care, no punishment, no imposed teaching.
Democracy, daily meeting. Self-knowledge.

Democratic school in Austria :   SchuelerInnenschule

Address:  Waehringerstrasse 59, 1170 Vienna, Austria

Contact:   Claudia Gerhartl/Claudia Di Constanzo

Email:    schuelerinnenschule@gmx.at

Telephone:    43 1 408 20939

Website:    www.schuelerinnenschule.at

Number of Students:    35 - 40 Age range 10 - 15

Languages:    German

Principles:    Self-government; parental involvement in running school in areas not directly the concern of the students; voluntary attendance at projects and lessons; learning in wider contexts and relations (not splitting into 'subjects') and co-defined with students; no pedagogical dogmas - influences from many theories, schools and, above all, current students and staff; no exams or marks.

Democratic school in Brazil :   Escola Internacional Lumiar

Schools list part 1
Address:  Rua Bela Cintra, 561 CEP 01415-000.Sao Paolo (SP), Brazil

Contact:   Helena Singer

Email:    hsinger@politeia.org.br or instituto@lumiar.org.br Updated Details

Telephone:    55 11 3256 7092

Website:    www.lumiar.org.br

Number of Students:    35 Age range 2- 10

Languages:    Portuguese, English

Principles:    All the decisions are taken at the School Meeting that gathers students and staff every week; and the students are free to choose the courses they want to follow, even free to choose not to follow any course.

Democratic school in Canada :   Fairfield School

Address:  65 Highland Avenue, Wolfville, NS B4P 1Z5, Canada

Contact:   David Greenberg

Email:    info@fairfieldschool.org

Telephone:    1 902 542 0548

Website:    www.fairfieldschool.org

Number of Students:    22 Age range 4 - 16

Languages:    English

Principles:    Self-directed, democratically run, independent day school based on the educational philosophy pioneered at Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts.

Democratic school in Chile :    yasnaia poliana new

Address:  Nataniel cox 2020. Santiago de Chile

Contact:   Acharya Díaz Painén

Email:    yasnaiapoliana@gmail.com

Telephone:    554 54 69

Website:    www.yasnaiapoliana.cl.kz

Languages:    español

Principles:    Deseamos crear la primera escuela democrática de Chile, con base Summerhill. 30 personas trabajan con nosotros en forma voluntaria y ocasionalmente, la mayoría estudiantes de pedagogía, artistas y niñ@os.

Democratic school in Finland :   Feeniks-koulu (Phoenix School)

Address:  Savilankatu 2 D 62, 00250 Helsinki, Finland

Contact:   Marko Koskinen

Email:    marko (at) feeniks-koulu.fi

Telephone:    +358-45-6305124 (mobile)

Website:    http://www.feeniks-koulu.fi

Number of Students:    10 Age range mostly 12 - 15

Principles:    : Feeniks-koulu is the first Finnish democratic school based officially on home-schooling. The School started in 2005 and is open to young people of all ages. At the moment our students are mostly 12-15 yo. The school gets no government funding and operates mostly on volunteer work. At the moment we also have no school building. We meet at a public library.

Democratic school in Germany :   Freie Schule Leipzig-Connewitz e.V   Updated Details

Address:  Am Lindenhof 22, Leipzig, Germany

Contact:   Henrik Ebenbeck

Email:    Henrik-Ebenbeck@web.de

Telephone:    49 (0) 341 301 3343

Website:    www.freie-schule-leipzig.de

Number of Students:    60 Age range 6 - 11

Languages:    German, English

Principles:    Students decide when, what and with whom they learn; democratic structure (keeps growing); Freinet principles.

Democratic school in Germany :   Kapriole

Address:  Oberrieder Strasse 20, 79117 Freiburg, Germany

Contact:  

Email:   

Telephone:    49 761 707 3647

Website:    www.kapriole-freiburg.de

Number of Students 98 Age Range 6 - 15 (later 18 or 20)

Languages:    German, English

Principles:    Children/teenagers do/learn what, where and how they want all the time: weekly meetings (parliament) discuss school business/activities: until now staff not elected by children. (That may change.)

Democratic school in Germany :   Sudbury-Schule Berlin-Brandenburg

Address:  Pappelallee 19, 10437 Berlin, Germany

Contact:   Martin Wilke

Email:    info@sudbury-berlin.de

Telephone:    49 3042802302

Website:    www.sudbury-berlin.de

Number of Students:    Age range 4 - 19

Languages:    German, English

Principles:    Based upon the model of Sudbury Valley School.

Democratic school in Germany :   Sudbury-Schule Halle-Leipzig

Address:  c/o tautologix, Kurt Schumacher Strasse 51, 04105 Leipzig, Germany

Contact:  

Email:    corina.retzlaff@sudbury-hl.de

Telephone:    49 341 9616520

Website:    www.sudbury-hl.de

Number of Students:    70 Age range 6 - 15

Languages:    German, English

Principles:    Sudbury Valley principles.

Democratic school in India :   Atma Vidya Educational Foundation

Address:  Malakara PO (via) Edayaranmula, Kerala 689 532, India

Contact:   Sheridan Wilson, Suzanne Buckley or Tara Nanavati

Email:    avef@kpmapproach.org

Telephone:    91 468 2317 675 or 91 468 2317 083

Website:    www.kpmapproach.org

Number of Students:    180 Age range 4 - 18

Languages:    English, Malayam, French, Hindi

Principles:    The KPM Approach to Children in Sri Atmananda Memorial School is based on the teacher-child relationship and valuing the child unconditionally. Children at the school are happy and confident, and flourish personally, socially and academically. Trianing programmes are available for teachers, parents and other interested persons.

Democratic school in Ithe Netherlands:   De Kampanje         New Addition

Address:  Daam Fockemalaan 22, 3818 KG Amersfoort, Netherlands

Contact:   PR-Coordinator

Email:    contact@dekampanje.org

Website:    www.dekampanje.org

Telephone:    972 66 225261

Age range:   4-18 students/members: 8 (March 2007)


Languages:    Dutch

Principles:    Basic principles/activities: Sudbury Model School for personal entrepreneurship .

Democratic school in Japan :   Mie Shure new details

Address:  1st Floor, Tsu Building, 328 Komei-cho, Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, 514-0006, Japan.

Web site: http://www.mienoko.com

Contact:   Yoshihide Ishiyama

Email:    npo@mienoko.com

Telephone:    059-213-1115

Number of Students:    22

Age range: 6-19

Languages:    Japanese

Principles:    Freedom, self-government and the respect of individuality. Students and staff get together in weekly meetings to democratically decide matters concerning their own activities and learning.

Democratic school in Lesotho :   Seliba sa Boithutu

Address:  PO Box 288, Maseru 100, Lesotho

Contact:   Gerard Mathot

Email:    mathot@lesoff.co.za

Telephone:    266 332190

Website:    www.ssb.org.ls

Number of Students:    around 200 Age range Early teens to adult

Languages:    English and Sesotho

Principles:    We provide a quiet, comfortable place to study, materials, computers and editorial help. Peer-learning is encouraged. Learners decide what, when, how and how much to learn. We are a democratic non-profit-making society. The annual membership fee is about US $3.00 and the fee for users is about US $0.20 per day.

Democratic school in New Zealand :   Tamariki School

Address:  PO Box 19506, Christchurch, New Zealand

Contact:   Diana Scullin

Email:    tamarikc@tamarikichch.schoolzone.net.nz

Telephone:    64 3 3849014

Website:    www.tamarikichch.schoolzone.net.nz

Number of Students:    60 Age range 3 - 13

Languages:    English

Principles:    All members of the community have access to power through the whole schol meeting (attendance compulsory) and through small meetings to deal with conflict. Learning is under the learners's control. Parents are welcome. We are totally opposed to tests, exams, etc. Kids learning about who they are and who other people are is the most valued and important learning in the school. Responsibility is the obverse of freedom, and authority is a product of experience.

Democratic school in Palestine :   Hope Flowers School

Address:  Bethlehem, West Bank, PO Box 732, Palestine

Contact:   Ghada Hussein Issa

Email:    ghadahotmail.copm

Telephone:    972 2 274 0693 or 972 2 274 4975

Website:   www.hopeflowersschool.org/ updated details

Number of Students:    150 Age range

Languages:    Arabic, English, Hebrew

Principles:    Peace and democratic education for Palestinian children.

Democratic school in Poland :   Autorska Szkola Samorozwoju ASSA, The School for Individual Development

Address:  53-633 Wroclaw, ul. Dluga 61, Poland

Contact:   Urszula Krzewska-Horbowy

Email:    assa@assa.wroc.pl

Telephone:    48 71 355 49 64

Website:    www.assa.wroc.pl

Number of Students:    240 Age range 16+

Languages:    Polish, English, German, French, Spanish

Principles:    Natural comprehensive and individual development. Individual learning styles; students schedule their own work and select the tutors they want to work with. Voluntary attendance; students choose group or individual classes, consultations, seminars, lectures, etc. Emphasis on clubs, workshops, trips, camps, etc..

Democratic school in Poland :   Independent High School

Address:  Limanowskiego Street 7, 33-300 Nowy Sacz, Poland

Contact:   Beate Budzik

Email:    budzikbt@op.pl

Telephone:    48 (18) 4434339

Website:    www.mto.org.pl

Number of Students:    70 Age range 15 - 19

Languages:    Polish, English, German

Principles:    We aim to promote democratic values in functional and participatory communities by promoting a democratic school environment (parliament, ombudsmen, constitution written by students, teachers and parents), innovative teaching methods (teacher training) and responsible citizenship (working in a community).

Democratic school in Poland :   Kajtus Czarodziej, Korczak's Kindergarten

Address:  ul.ks. J. Popieluszki 14, 01-590 Warsaw, Poland

Contact:   Waldemar Piasecki

Email:    kajtusczarodziej@interia.pl

Telephone:    48 224255514

Website:    www.przedszkole.most.org.pl

Number of Students 15 Age Range 2 - 6

Languages:    Polish, English

Principles:    We are a democratic kindergarten based on pricniples and approach of non-violent communication (Marshall Rosenberg).

Democratic school in Sweden :   SEBOR friskola

Address:  Mjaelgavaegen 49, 78437 Borlaenge, Sweden

Contact:   Ove Raskopp

Email:    ove.raskopp@sebor.se

Telephone:    00 462341

Website:    www.sebor.se

Number of Students:    20 Age range 6 - 16

Languages:    Swedish, English and some Spanish

Principles:    Democratic and free education.

Democratic school in Thailand :   Moo Baan Dek

Address:  Latya-Srisawat Road, Muang, Kanchanaburi 71190, Thailand

Contact:   Rajani Dhongchai

Email:    mbd@ffc.or.th

Telephone:    6634 515106

Website:    www.ffc.or.th/mbd

Number of Students:    150 Age range 3 - 20

Languages:    Thai

Principles:    Moo Baan Dek is a living community in an area of forest and cultivable land. It helps children from the most difficult backgrounds. They learn from nature, a warm , loving atmosphere and plentiful understanding and freedom. Neill's ideas are enriched with Buddhist elements.

Democratic school in Thailand :   The Whispering Seed

Address:  PO Box 30, Sanglkalburi, Kanchanaburi Province 71240. Thailand

Contact:   Jim Connor

Email:    whisperingseed@gmail.com

Telephone:    (66) 81 910 8071

Website:    www.whisperingseed.org

Number of Students:    8 and growing Age range infant to adult

Languages:    English, Thai, Burmese, Karen

Principles:    A community Living and Learning Center and Children's Home for refugge and hill-tribe children who have been orphaned and abused along the Thai-Burmese border, focusing on Holisting Learning, Teacher Training, Permaculture, Earthen Building, Traditional Crafts and Indigenous Knowledge .

Democratic school in the Netherlands :   Wonderwijs

Address:  Hoofdweg 124, 7371 GJ Loenen, Netherlands

Contact:   Henk Veneman

Email:    henkveneman@hetnet.nl

Telephone:    31 55 540 1074

Website:    www.wonderwijsschool.nl

Number of Students:    7 (growing) Age range 4 - 14

Languages:    Dutch, English, German

Principles:    School where children can learn on their own initiative. Participating in the Iederwijs network (www.iederwijs.nl).

Democratic school in the Netherlands:   Aventurijn School    Updated Details

Address:  Voorsterweg 1, 7371 GA Loene (Apeldoorn), Netherlands

Contact:   Hanneke Beckers

Email:    hannah@aventurijn.org

Telephone:    31 0555051155

Website:    www.aventurijn.org

Number of Students:    7 and growing Age range 4 - 14

Languages:    Dutch, English, German

Principles:    Learning from life in freedom.

Democratic school in the UK :   Sands School

Address:  48 East Street, Ashburton, Devon TQ13 7AX, UK

Contact:   Nathan Gribble

Email:    enquiry@sandsschool.demon.co.uk Updated details

Telephone:    44 1364 653666

Website:    http://sands-school.co.uk

Number of Students:    60 - 70 Age range 11 - 17

Languages:    English

Principles:    Government by students and staff together, shared responsibility for everything, equality, avoidance of petty rules and punishments, respect, trust and care.

Democratic school in the UK :   South Downs Learning Centre

Address:  31 Harrington Road, Brighton, BN1 6RF, UK

Contact:   Ian Cunningham

Email:    ian@stratdevint.com

Telephone:    44 1273 703691

Website:    www.selfmanagedlearning.org

Number of Students:    7 Age range 12 - 15

Languages:    English

Principles:    No imposed teaching; students decide what they learn, when they learn, where they learn and most fundamentally, why they learn.

Democratic school in the UK :   Summerhill School

Address:  Leiston, Suffolk IP16 4HY, UK

Contact:   Zoe Readhead

Email:    zoe@summerhillschool.co.uk

Telephone:    44 1728 830 540

Website:    www.summerhillschool.co.uk

Number of Students:    70 Age range 6 - 16

Languages:    English, etc.

Principles:    Freedom and self-government.

Democratic school in the USA :    Harriet Tubman Free School

Address:  8 Elm St., Albany, NY, 12202, USA

Contact:   Liz Carivan, Karece Powers, Isaac R. Graves

Email:    director@tubmanfreeschool.org

Telephone:    1 518-462-3402

Website:    www.tubmanfreeschool.org

Number of Students:    Around 30 Age range 14-18

Languages:    English

Principles:    This is Albany Free School's democratic, non-coercive high school program. Students take full responsibility for their own education and the school community, and engage in real world learning. The school is committed to
resisting societal oppression in all its forms.

Democratic school in the USA :   COMPASS for Lifelong Discovery

Address:  PO Box 336, Woody Creek, Colorado 81656, USA

Contact:   Skye Skinner

Email:    skye@discovercompass.org

Telephone:    01 970 923 4646 extension 217

Website:    www.discovercompass.org

Number of Students:    270 in 3 schools Age range All ages

Languages:    English and Spanish

Principles:    Hands-on, experience-based education that follows the child's lead and gives each child responsibility for their own educational success. Small school environment provides intimate, interactive learning groups with a teacher/student ratio of 1:12.

Democratic school in the USA :   Red Cedar School

Address:  PO Box 393, Hardscrabble Road, Bristol, VT 05443, USA

Contact:   Jacquie Wernere-Gavrin

Email:    redcedar@wcvt.com

Telephone:    1 802 453 5213

Website:    www.redcedarschool.com

Number of Students:    25 Age range 5 - 19

Languages:    English

Principles:    A Sudbury model school. Students direct their own learning and the school is democratically governed.

Democratic school in the USA :   Sudbury Valley School

Address:  2 Winch Street, Framingham, MA 01701, USA

Contact:   Mimsy Sadovsky or Daniel Greenberg

Email:    sudval@aol.com

Telephone:    1 508 877 3030

Website:    www.sudval.org

Number of Students:    210 Age range 4 - 20

Languages:    English

Principles:    Self-directed activities in a democratic setting.

Democratic school in the USA :   The Highland School Updated Details

Address:  Rt. 83 Box 56, Highland, WV 26346, USA

Contact:   Dr. Candy Landvoigt or Ms Noel McCutchan

Email:    highland@ruralnet.org or clandvoigt@hotmail.com

Telephone:    1 304 869 3250

Website:    www.thehighlandschool.org

Number of Students:    11 Age range 5 - 16

Languages:    English

Principles:    The only democratic boarding and day school in the U.S.,  we are committed to democratic process and individual rights.  Located in a scenic wooded area, living and learning at Highland gives students the opportunity to grow into self-reliant, creative adults.

Democratic school in the USA :   The Tutorial School Updated details

Address:  400 Brunn School Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505 USA

Contact:   Moe Zimmerberg, Iku Fujimatsu, Ethan Urbanick

Email:    tutorialschool@yahoo.com

Website: www.tutorialschool.org

Telephone:    1 505 988 1859

Number of Students:    37 Age range 6 - 18

Languages:    English, Japanese, French

Principles:    Self-determination, relationships, love, self-motivation, compassion instead of punishment, trust and respect, realizing that you are in charge of your life and that your actions affect others.

Democratic school in the USA :   Upattinas School

Address:  429 Greenridge Road, Glenmore, PA 19343, USA

Contact:   Sandy Hurst

Email:    office@upattinas.org

Telephone:    1 610 458 5138

Website:    www.upattinas.org

Number of Students:    Age range

Languages:    English

Democratic school in the USA:   Albany Free School

Address:  8 Elm Street, Albany, NY12202, USA

Contact:   Chris Mercogliano

Email:    bhawin74@yahoo.com updated details

Telephone:    : 1 518 434 3072

Website: www.albanyfreeschool.com

Number of Students:    : 50 Age range 2 - 14

Languages:    : English

Principles:    : We are a very spontaneous democratic community based on principles of freedom and self-regulation.

Democratic school in the USA:   Freedom School New Addition

Address:  17401 Conoy Road, Barnesville, MD 20838, USA

Contact:   Denise Chasin

Email:    info@freedomschoolMD.com

Telephone:    + 1 301-349-0123

Website:    www.freedomschoolMD.com

Number of Students - members:   8 Age range 4 - 18

Languages:    English

Principles:    For 2007-08, the Freedom School is operating as a cooperative modeled after the Sudbury Valley School with the plans to become a full time program for 2008/2009. The goal is to provide an alternative school environment that supports the needs and skills required of children in the 21st century and beyond. .