A SUMMERHILL ALUMNUS
Mark Pryor pryors_place@earthlink.net

For me Summerhill was (and is) a place where the uniqueness of the individual was supported by the community. Although in my personal life I struggle with the experience and knowledge of personal freedom and that my children may never know that experience to wit the grievous imbalance I currently feel in that regard, Summerhill will always remain a major influence in my heart and mind.

Summerhill - Main House

It is my viewpoint that scholastic lessons of math, reading, writing or whatever can be learned at any moment during ones life. Summerhill is an example of this, as age has no bearing on who may attend lessons. It is the interest of individual that dictates attendance. This non-corrosion to attend lessons, in its self, is a great departure from the main stream education systems of the world; however, this is not the focus of this paper. The focus is the individuals "true self" and not a persona, as well, that of the community that upholds this self-freedom or denies it.

Lessons of community at Summerhill were (are) formed by the freedom given to the individual. Freedom was (is) applied under the banner of "freedom, not license". Meaning, you have the freedom to do what you like as long as you do not prevent or inhibit the right of another to do likewise. This was enforced by the community via weekly meetings, in which each person, having equal voice and power of vote, could discuss the issues at hand for the value of the community, but not at the expense of the individual. The love of the individuals freedom, owned and enjoyed by all, was (is) the motivating drive to find equitable solutions to issues brought up at the meetings. Furthermore, the meetings were (are) the catalyst in which the veracity of "freedom, not license" was (is) worked out for personal and community freedom.

Summerhill - Meeting

Once conformity for non-expression (persona) wore off, the individual freely expressed from a center, no longer obligated to standards, of belonging to the community and the community belonging to them. There is insurmountable satisfaction in this, when the individual can share in truth, from self-freedom actualized in the community.

Sometimes the rawness of truth is misunderstood as being rude. Truth is straight foreword. The naked truth is unhampered by etiquette or social politeness. It is better to release truth and honesty then to hide it behind politeness at the loss of the individual. Most of society does not regard the individual but conforms and bends the individual into politeness until there is little or no truth remaining. The true individual becomes lost. Leaving only a shell that is the representation of etiquette.

At the loss of veracity comes the loss of the individuals self-freedom (self-awareness) thus the loss of community. If the community is not free then the individual can not be free but is placed within the constraints of the community. As it is likewise the individuals self-freedom that makes a community free or places the community under constraints.

Therefore it is the duty of the community, and individual, to preserve "freedom, not license". To preserve the veracity of self-actualization and abhor politeness or etiquette used to hide the truth thus displacing the individual, leaving both individual and community void of truth.

A community stepped in "freedom, not license" is the education provided at Summerhill School.

http://www.summerhillschool.co.uk/