Declaration of Educational Emancipation

Introduction

The movement to end compulsory education is gaining momentum. It does not seem to have a short declaration of its goals. A very neat formulation was provided by John Holt as early as half-a-century ago. We decided to adapt Holt's words to formulate a short statement:

Declaration of Educational Emancipation

We, the children, want to decide about our own learning. We demand a constitutional protection of the rights of children to freedom of education. We want a free choice of schools, subjects, exams and teachers. We want to have a free choice of goals, materials, methods, scope, place and pace of learning. We want to decide our own fate. We must end school slavery

Support

Adult support for the declaration comes originally from Peter Gray, Tom Durrie, and Piotr Wozniak.

We will keep a list of signatories and similar initiatives in a separate list.

You can also like and comment on Facebook or Twitter.

Origins

Original wording of this declaration was compiled by Piotr Wozniak (aged 58 at that time), Tom Durrie (aged 89), and a teacher who decided to remain anonymous. Teachers in the system are not free either!

The rationale behind the declaration is the Fundamental Law of Learning.

The goal is to see a world without coercive learning.

Holt's inspirational words from 1974: The Right to Control One's Learning.

Dr Peter Gray explains educational emancipation in terms of human rights, and predicts the end of the coercive system by 2026.

Dissemination

You are free to copy and paste the declaration, place it on your site, introduce corrections, and pass it further with no attribution.

If you want to sign the declaration, join this Facebook group: End School Slavery. See also the list of first honorary signatories.

Thank you for your contribution to protecting human rights.

Declaration of Educational Emancipation

Introduction