Private school or public school?

In most cases, the decision for an alternative school concept is equivalent to the decision for a private school: the vast majority of schools that follow an alternative concept are privately run. Conversely, however, this does not mean that a private school must always be a Waldorf, Montessori, or Jenaplan school: there are also private schools whose pedagogical approach hardly differs from that of state-run schools.

Private school only for a few?

Private school is not the same as an elite school. In principle, all schools that are privately, i.e. non-publicly, run are referred to as private schools. This also includes, for example, Protestant and Catholic schools, which usually charge only a very small tuition fee and are open to all pupils without admission requirements.

What are the differences between private and public?

Private schools finance themselves at least partially through tuition fees that parents have to pay. At Waldorf schools the tuition is about 120 euros per month, at private boarding schools it can be over 2,000 euros per month. This type of financing gives schools more freedom to determine their concept and their teachers themselves: they can thus better respond to the needs of the pupils and are more likely to try new things. Therefore children who do not cope in the conventional school system often have more success in a private school. Read more about private schools here.

Why an alternative school?

Over the past five to eight decades the public school system has changed significantly: the authoritarian learning institutions of the past have become schools that actively engage with their pedagogical concept and the learning needs of the pupils. Nevertheless there are many parents who are dissatisfied with the regular school system. Many criticize the 'leveling' of the public school system, in which children have to adapt to certain performance expectations and are suppressed in their personal development. Others fear large classes

and unmotivated teachers who stubbornly work through their curriculum instead of responding to the children's interests. The decision for an alternative school should nevertheless be weighed carefully. Those who enroll their child in such a school out of mere protest will quickly realize that alternative school concepts are often not only educational but also ways of life: a lot of commitment in everyday school life is expected of parents and pupils. This includes self-directed learning as well as participation in school activities, projects and multi-layered decision-making processes.

Waldorf school – the teaching of anthroposophy

The origins of the Waldorf school:

The originator of Waldorf education is the esotericist Rudolf Steiner. Within the framework of his anthroposophical teachings, Steiner had been concerned with questions of upbringing and schooling since the beginning of the 20th century. In 1919 he became headmaster of the factory school of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory in Stuttgart and at this school implemented for the first time his school concept later known as Waldorf education. After all reform schools had been closed during the National Socialist regime, new Waldorf schools increasingly emerged in Germany from the 1970s onwards. Today the Waldorf concept is among the most popular reform-pedagogical approaches worldwide.

Pedagogical principles of the Waldorf school:

The basis of the Waldorf school is the anthroposophical idea. According to Steiner, the human being is divided into spirit, soul and body. In the sense of a holistic education, all of these areas must be promoted equally. Therefore, in addition to the classic school subjects, great importance is attached to the development of artistic and craft skills. The school year follows a fixed rhythm with recurring rituals, frequent school celebrations and presentations of self-designed teaching materials.

Waldorf school in practice:

At a Waldorf school there is no conventional curriculum and no grading. Instead, it is the teachers' task to assess the personality and learning development of each child and to support them accordingly. The school day is divided into the so-called epoch lessons, which cover a particular subject over several weeks, and subject lessons in which foreign languages, art and movement are taught. As a rule there are no textbooks at Waldorf schools: the children create their own teaching materials in epoch lessons and use them to document their learning progress. Learn more about the Waldorf school here.

The Montessori school relies on the natural desire to learn

The origins of the Montessori school:

Montessori is not a pure school concept, but a comprehensive pedagogical approach that covers development from early childhood to young adulthood. Montessori pedagogy was developed in the early 20th century by the Italian physician Maria Montessori. In her hospital work she repeatedly found that children from impoverished homes in particular grew up without intellectual stimulation. In 1907 she therefore founded her first children's house in a poor district of Rome with the aim of providing all children with education and opportunities for development. A few years later Montessori children's houses and subsequently Montessori schools also emerged in Germany.

Pedagogical principles of the Montessori school:

The principles of Montessori pedagogy are based on the assumption that every person has an innate curiosity and an inner drive to explore. The freer and more self-determined a child can learn, the greater their motivation. Children learn together across age groups and at their own pace: teachers provide stimuli on various topics so that the children must work out the content themselves and support each other in the process.

Montessori school in practice:

Montessori kindergartens and Montessori schools work with special, selected materials that are intended to stimulate children to learn. Order plays a major role in the classroom because it is meant to convey inner calm and order to the children. Instead of frontal teaching, teachers provide stimuli and otherwise keep in the background while the children work independently in groups. Parents also participate actively in school life and get involved in projects and school celebrations. Read more about Montessori pedagogy and everyday school life at a Montessori school here.

Jenaplan school: learning from differences

The origins of the Jenaplan school:

The Jenaplan concept was developed in 1927 by the German educationalist Peter Petersen, who held a chair at the University of Jena and was also head of the university school there. Petersen presented his concept of free, self-determined learning to the committee for the 1927 conference of the New Education Fellowship, which coined the name 'Jenaplan'. A number of the schools run according to the Jenaplan concept today call themselves Peter-Petersen schools after the founder of the school concept.

Pedagogical principles of the Jenaplan school:

At the center of the Jenaplan concept are independent learning and working as well as community at the school and mutual responsibility. Petersen rejected age-based classes because, in his view, they limit students' interaction with one another. At Jenaplan schools students learn in mixed-age main groups. Instead of 45-minute lessons there is a weekly work plan within which teaching and learning take place individually.

Jenaplan school in practice:

There are around 50 Jenaplan schools nationwide in Germany. Most of them are primary schools, but you can also obtain your school leaving qualification at a Jenaplan school. The school day is characterized by group teaching and project work. Regular school celebrations are intended to strengthen the school community and give insight into the work of others. Here you can find out more about what Jenaplan schools are all about.

Sudbury school: everyone learns how they want

The origins of the Sudbury school:

All Sudbury schools follow more or less the model of the original Sudbury Valley School, which was founded in 1968 in the US state of Massachusetts by a group of educators. The model for the Sudbury Valley School was the reform school Summerhill, which was established in 1921 as one of the first democratic schools in Great Britain.

Pedagogical principles of the Sudbury school:

The Sudbury school aims to enable children to learn completely self-directed, free from obligations and constraints. At a Sudbury school children decide from the start for themselves what they learn, when and with whom. Playing, reading and creative work is just as possible as project courses. There is no curriculum, no classes and no fixed lesson times. Instead the children mix across age groups to occupy themselves and learn together.

Sudbury school in practice:

There are no fixed lesson times and usually no set school start time either. At most Sudbury schools all children should be at school by a certain time, about 10:00, and stay there for at least five hours. Student assemblies play an important role, in which school rules, courses and other offerings are decided democratically. During the remaining time the children play or learn independently, together with teachers or with other children. There are no performance records or class tests, so students who want to obtain a school leaving qualification must take the exams externally at another school. Read more about the Sudbury school concept here.

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Empty classroom with whiteboard © Rido - stock.adobe.com