자유학교의 설립배경, 유형 및 논의

초기 자유주의자들(libertarians)은 국가주도 교육이 개인의 ‘사상과 언론의 자유’를 제한하고, 결과적으로 문명의 발달을 제한히며, 시민의 평등한 정치 권력을 저해하고，기존 권력자의 정치권력과 부를 영속시킬 가능성을 비판하였다. 이러한 인식 하에 사상의 자유를 추구한 자유학교에서의 자유는 무강요 교육 • 학습 및 성의 자유를 의미했다. 최초의 자유화교는 1901년 Ferrer의 ‘근대학교’이고, 스텔론의 근대학교는 학생의 출석과 교과 선택 자유를 부여한 무강요 학습의 원칙에따라 운영 되었으며, 섬머힐에서는 아동의 성적 평등과 쾌락 추구의 자유를 강조하였다. 자유학교는 아동의 자유 확보 및 중진을 위해 노력한 것과 교육문제의 원인과 대책 범위를 확대한 것에서 그 의의를 찾을 수 있었다. 그러나 뚜렷한 교육빙법의 부재, 자유 제한 요인의 증대, 학부모의 무관심, 주변 세계의 입력, 빈번한 전학, 문제아 집단이라는 인식, 그리고 1970년대 이후 제기된 무학습의 자유 문제는 자유학교 발전에 커다란 장애가 되었다.

In this paper, I analyzed the necessities, cases, contributions and difficulties of the free school movement. By the end of the nineteenth century, criticisms of government-operated schools sparked the development of alternative forms of education. In response to these criticisms, the alternative forms of education developed by libertarians emphasized freedom of thought as necessary to the progress of society. In addition, they hoped to avoid the uniformity of state schools and, consequently, accepted the conclusion that diversity of ideas gave substance to freedom of thought. And, of course, they rejected the ideas of government-operated schools because of the possibility that political leaders would use education to perpetuate their power. In contrast to early libertarians concerns about the negative effects of government schools, Max Stimer worried that any form of education has the potential to restrict freedom of thought.

Most of these school by the early libertarians were eventually called "free schools." The term "free" in "free schools" has several meaning. During the early twentieth century, it primarily referred to a school offering an education that was free of imposition of ideas and beliefs on students. Francisco Ferrer’s Modem School in Spain was the example. "Free" also meant free of a compulsion to learn. In these early free schools, children were free to learn anything they wanted. Therefore, the source of authority over what should be learned was placed in the hands of the students. Noncompulsory learning was a central feature of the version of the Modem School that was established in the United States in 1915 in Stelton, New Jersey. With the development of the most famous of the free schools, Summerhill, in the 1920s, the meaning of "free" also included freedom from authoritarian families, sexual freedom and freedom for women from male domination.

The free schools by the early libertarians put 'education for learners' into practice and broadened ranges of analyzing educational situations. But they also had serious problems, such as gaining parental involvement, the pressure of the surrounding world, the frequent withdrawal, and the presence of problem children. And also, the free school movement was plagued by the problem that the world f,freen was primarily being associated with the freedom for children to learn or not to learn. Because giving a child freedom not to learn can result in restricting the child’s future freedom and happiness.