Remaking Education at Anarchist-Inspired Alternative School

Publication Date

2019

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Civitas educationis: Education, Politics, and Culture

Volume

8

Issue

2

Abstract

This article explores the philosophy and practice of anarchist education within the context of an alternative middle and high school in an urban setting. It sets out to explore how educators within the field reconcile some of the tensions and conflicts at the heart of anarchist thinking, particularly as it pertains to its organizational structure and educational practices. To do this, the article begins by examining the history and practice of anarchist education, arguing for a recovery of its emancipatory, political roots, and a problematization of the neoliberal focus on management and performance, an approach that divests education of its political and ethical content. We then provide a concrete example of anarchism that informs the organizational practice of an alternative school animated by anarchist principles and radical traditions in education. We argue that the political challenges we face demand project-oriented schools characterized by dialogic governance and a relational approach to justice. Such schools may help us reimagine education to promote both individual and collective flourishing.

Keywords

anarchist education, dialogue, relational justice, dialogic governance

Department

Humanities

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