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'Itfiis”a cherished tradition

Alternative \‘Sclloolofn P.E.I. - ltfinol

"Really? You mean it's not . just talk?" I

"No. It's a fact; There I .really is an alternative sch— 001 on P.ErI."

So it goes. For years people have been discussing the posse 'ibility. Now that it is here, announcement of the fact is often met with surprise, if not down right.disbelief.

But it did happen. The“ ,, \ Charlottetown Independent Sch— ool (C.I.S. for short) opened ‘ it's doors this september in the basement of the Spring Park Church. It started with one full-time teacher, ten ' children of elementary school age, a qualified assistant, and a company of eager and actively involved parents.

Small beginnings? Indeed. But the idea has become a reality. And it's-working. Moreover,.those involved in its creation, parents and non — parents alike, are sup— remely—confident that the island's first alternative school not only will continue but that it will also set a precedent for more to come.

Why? In a word PEI is un— iquely situated for this kind of breakthrough in education.

For one thing the tradition

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gquthg.one_rdgmugquo his stilr the reforms and however well- éfi‘IédiffiifiiméfidfifiifiIhteflfidfiedlteachers may be

and it is one into which an alternative or "free" school easily fits. ’

For another thing, a basic principle Of alternative ed— ucation is community orien— tation, something-far less difficult to achieve in a rural society than in the ur- banized complex.

To be sure, the C.I.S. has a long way to go. There are certain problems - staring it in the face. The most ob- vious one is that of money. The school seeks funds to ’expand facilities, to/increase staff, to pay the rent.

Then there are the character- istic difficulties of how to adjust curriculum input to non-compulsory (free) learning situations. In this connection parents meet regularly in ' open sessions and invite out- side consultation to discuss the educational goals of C.I.S.

But the schOol has already come a long way, in an incred— ibly short span of time. An important first step has been accomplished, one that says 3 great deal in support of the value or a nonscoercive app-, roach in education. It is this. The pupils'themselves sparkle with excitement about C.I.S- Each parent sttests to the fact that his or her child never resists attending sch- ool, and becomes unhappy at

the thought of missing a day-

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In this C.I.S. has already fulfilled one important goal of the free Sch001 mov— ment in general.

THE FREE SCHOOL MOVEMENT ‘.Alternative schools vary from place to place, even 'as individual pupils. Many -common points of view and approaches exist, however. In fact, people speak, for lack of a better term, of a free school "movement".

One basic shared attitude’ is that education should be childhcentered rather than teacher centered. The alter- native schoo1, therefore, seeks to create free, open learning environments. It stands against compulsory, regimented, drill—type "sch— ooling".

In this connection the movement developed as a genuine counter to the pub— lic school system of mass education or, more properly, of education in mass. It remains a genuine altern- ative and should not be con— fused with interesting ex— perimentation or liberal reform.

More precisely, the "phil- osophy" behind the free school holds that whatever

in the system, the public school system itself is severely limiting and count- erproductive. And that it becomes even more so as it grows in size and complex— ity. Thus, more uniformity not less is required. More regimentation. More need for teacher education which stresses class—room control. All of this mitigates ag- ainst the goal of free in— quiry and adds to the para- dox of "free" compulsory

education, the paradox upon which the public shcool system is largely based.

It is no accident, then, that standard teaching meth- ods for large classes turn out to be little more than variations of_rote—learning process because they often feel confined. "

As suggested the Char- lottetown Independent Sch— ool certainly has its prob— lems. But aside from that of the lack of adequate

_'funds, they reduce in the main to the rather "happy"

_.ones of how to channel the

energy, enthusiasm and ex-

THE CADRE. NOVEMBER 5, 1974, PAGE 7

ly does eXist

citement of its children.

'With this in mind C.I.S, is confident that it will contribute to the community. The school feels confident also that it is worthy of the community's support, and asks for it without reservation.

Certainly, one would ass- ume, that first in line to offer support will be stu— dents who have been invol— ved in education for a great part of their lives and faculty members for most of their lives. And this is one of the reasons this piece is appearing in the U.P.E.I. paper.

Contributions will be accepted by Don Mazer of the Psychology Dept. and also by the CADRE.

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"FALL FEST '74" TOASTING WITH .IHE....".;EQBI. . . ..

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PHOTO BY GORDON COFFIN