Student Spring 2023
School Strike
Student Spring 2022
On Sep 12, 2021, a group of students proposed a school strike to end compulsory schooling in Poland, and later in the world. The name Student Spring (in Polish Wiosna Uczniow) was inspired by Springtime of the Peoples (Wiosna Ludow)(1848).
The strike begun on Mar 21, 2022, the traditional truant day in Poland, and the proposed International Day of Educational Freedom in the world. The only postulate was to end of coercion in education along the Declaration of Educational Emancipation. That goal was to be achieved by setting up an educational round table.
The strike did not last long (see: Student strike report). Most of the strike fever fizzled in 3 days, and the last combative school was back in class on Mar 28, 2022.
However, the Emancipation Proclamation was announced on Mar 20, 2022, by Kacper Borys in Warsaw (see: video). The leadership of the educational round table was elected.
Student Spring 2023
In the wake of the school strike, an outline of education reform was proposed: ABC of Education Reform.
The second attempt at school strike is planned for Mar 21, 2023. This time, the strike is to involve parents and teachers. Its goals will be extended from ending coercion to introducing a simple non-coercive education bill.
Student Strike Formula
As of March 21, 2023, students will stop attending school. Parents can support students (e.g. by a written excuse for the absence if needed). Teachers can support students (e.g. by assuring of no penalties for absence). Principals can support students by looking the other way. Politicians can support students by voicing their public support. Students who cannot participate due to fears (of teachers and/or parents) can support the strike by spreading the message.
Round Table of Education
- list of 145 experts proposed as candidates for the round table
- list of 7 potential brainstorm leaders (on Feb 4, 2022, the list is lead by supporters of the school strike!)
- in March 2022, the leadership was elected among the members topping the voting list above. The purpose is to formulate a vision of a non-coercive law that will ultimately be approved by the table
- as of April 2022, the table operates primarily via one-to-one interactions, debates, and through wikidemocracy used to compile the vision of the new law (see also: Discord debates)
- in September 2022, an outline of a single page education bill was proposed (compare: ABC of Education Reform)
- on Mar 11, 2023, the table concluded its delibrations with a final report in which it expressed support for Lex Wolnosc; a vision of a simple education bill based on freedom for all actors on the scene (the wording by Dr Borys Binkowski was adopted)
The final wording of the proposed vision of the new law will be established in the days Mar 18-19, 2023. Hundreds of pages of the law based on control and fear will be replaced with a short text based on freedom.
Support
- school strike is supported by the pope of self-directed education, Dr Peter Gray (see: video)
- school strike is supported by the European king of non-coercive education, Peter Hartkamp (see: video)
- school strike is supported by Dr Mikolaj Marcela, the author of the book: "Selections. How school destroys people and societies" (in Polish)
- school strike is supported by Dr Tomasz Tokarz, one of the best experts on education in Poland
- school strike is supported by Tom Durrie, a 92-year-old book author and teacher
- political parties from extreme left to extreme right have expressed tacit support. We are working on official endorsements.
FAQs
Further reading
- Declaration of Educational Emancipation
- ABC of Education Reform
- End School Slavery Library
- Student Spring 2022 Library
- Koniec Przymusu Szkolnego
- School Reform: Evolution or Revolution?
- Petition to the Ombudsman to End School Coercion
- This page in Polish: Wiosna Uczniow 2023
Hashtags
Hashtags: #WiosnaUczniow, #StudentSpring2023
Resources
This page is an English mirror of a hub to access primary resources.
In Poland these are:
See also: Student Spring 2022
Student Spring 2024
This text explains the reasons and strategies behind a school strike "Student Spring 2024" aimed at ending compulsory schooling
Hashtags: #WiosnaUczniow, #StudentSpring2024
More information:
- Student Spring 2023 (English) and Wiosna Uczniow 2024 (Polish)
- Coercion: FAQ (English) and FAQ (Polish)
- School choice: FAQ (English) and FAQ (Polish)
- End School Slavery hub for initiatives aimed at ending coercion in education
- End School Slavery: new wiki for international community
- Facebook group in English: End School Slavery (explained in End School Slavery)
- Facebook group in Polish: Koniec Przymusu Szkolnego (explained here in English: Koniec Przymusu Szkolnego)