12/8/2016

MakeSchoolaDemocracyTheNewYorkTimes

http://nyti.ms/1zs0OvS

SundayReview

CONTRI BUTI NGOPEDWRI TER

MakeSchoolaDemocracy
DavidL.Kirp

FEB.28,2015

ARMENIA,ColombiaINaoneroomruralschoolhouseanhoursdrivefrom
thiscityinacoffeegrowingregionofColombia,30youngstersages5to13are
engrossedinstudy.Inmostschools,studentssitinrowsfacingtheteacher,
whodoesmostofthetalking.Butthesestudentsaregroupedattables,each
correspondingtoagradelevel.Thehumofconversationfillstheroom.After
tacklinganassignmentontheirown,thestudentsreviewoneanotherswork.
Ifachildisstruggling,theotherspitchintohelp.
Duringmyvisittooneoftheseschools,secondgraderswerewritingshort
stories,andfifthgradersweretestingwhetherthecoloroflightaffectsits
brightnesswhenseenthroughwater.Theteachermovedamongthegroups,
leaningovershoulders,readingandcommentingontheirwork.Inonecorner
oftheclassroomwereitems,broughttoschoolbythekids,thatwillbe
incorporatedintheirlessons.Thestudentshaveplantedasizablegarden,and
thevegetablesandfruitstheyraiseareusedasstaplesatmealtime,often
preparedaccordingtotheirparentsrecipes.
Duringthepastfourdecades,thisschoolandthousandslikeithave
adoptedwhatscalledtheEscuelaNueva(NewSchool)model.
A1992WorldBankevaluationofColombiasschoolsconcludedthatpoor

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/opinion/sunday/makeschoolademocracy.html?_r=2

1/4

12/8/2016

MakeSchoolaDemocracyTheNewYorkTimes

youngsterseducatedthiswaylearningbydoing,ratherthanbeingendlessly
drilledfornationalexamsgenerallyoutperformedtheirbetteroffpeersin
traditionalschools.A2000Unescostudyfoundthat,nexttoCuba,Colombia
didthebestjobinLatinAmericaofeducatingchildreninruralareas,where
mostoftheschoolsoperatewiththismodel.Itwasalsotheonlycountryin
whichruralschoolsgenerallyoutperformedurbanschools.Poorchildrenin
developingnationsoftendropoutafterayearortwobecausetheirfamilies
dontseetherelevanceoftheeducationtheyregetting.Theseyoungstersare
morelikelytostayinschoolthantheircounterpartsinconventionalschools.
EscuelaNuevaisalmostunknownintheUnitedStates,eventhoughithas
wonnumerousinternationalawardsthehyperenergeticVickyColbert,who
foundedtheprogramin1975andstillrunsit,receivedthefirstClintonGlobal
Citizenshipprize.Thatshouldchange,forthisishowchildrennotjustpoor
childrenoughttobeeducated.
Itsboilerplateeconomicsthatuniversaleducationisthepathto
prosperityfordevelopingnationstheNobelwinningeconomistJosephE.
Stiglitzcallsittheglobalpublicgood.Butwhilethenumberofprimary
schoolagechildrennotinclassworldwidefellto57.2millionin2012from
99.8millionin2000,thequalityoftheireducationisanothermatter.Escuela
Nuevaoffersawidelyadaptablemodel,asUnescohasdescribedit.
UnescoreportedthesuccessfuldiffusionofEscuelaNuevain20,000
Colombianschoolswithpoorlytrainedteachers,ErnestoSchiefelbein,rector
oftheAutonomousUniversityofChile,whohasevaluatedtheprogram,told
me.AsfarasIknow,thereisnootherexampleofmassiveeducational
improvementinademocraticdevelopingcountry.
AnotherNobelwinningeconomist,AmartyaSen,positsthatpolitical
repressionimpedeseconomicgrowththatprosperityrequiresthatsocial
andeconomicwellbeingbetetheredtodemocraticvalues.EscuelaNueva
turnstheschoolhouseintoalaboratoryfordemocracy.Ratherthanbeingrun

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/opinion/sunday/makeschoolademocracy.html?_r=2

2/4

12/8/2016

MakeSchoolaDemocracyTheNewYorkTimes

asaminidictatorship,withtheprincipalasitsunquestionedleader,the
schooloperatesasaselfgoverningcommunity,whereteachers,parentsand
studentshavearealsayinhowitisrun.Whenteachersunfamiliarwiththis
approachareassignedtotheseschools,itsoftenthestudentsthemselveswho
teachthemhowtoapplythemethod.Intheseschools,citizenshipisnt
abstracttheory,Ms.Colberttoldme.Itsdailypractice.
Intheschools,studentselectedbytheirpeersshoulderahostof
responsibilities.InaschoolIvisitedinapoorneighborhoodhereinthecityof
Armenia,thestudentcouncilmeticulouslyplannedadaysetasidetopromote
peaceoperatedaradiostationandturnedanemptyclassroomintoaquiet
spaceforreadingandrecharging.IwastherelastHalloween,whenstudents
putonacostumecontestfortheirpets.
PARENTSbecomeinvolvedinthedaytodaylifeoftheseschools,andthe
educationalphilosophyinfluencestheiroutofschoollives.Researchshows
thattheparentsofEscuelaNuevastudentsarelesspronetousecorporal
punishmentmorelikelytolettheiryoungstersspendtimeatplayoron
homework,ratherthanmakingthemworkwhentheyrenotinschooland
morelikely,alongwiththeirchildren,tobecomeengagedintheir
communities.
Decadesago,JohnDewey,Americasforemosteducationphilosopher,
assertedthatstudentslearnedbestthroughexperienceandthatdemocracy
cannotgoforwardunlesstheintelligenceofthemassofpeopleiseducatedto
understandthesocialrealitiesoftheirowntime.EscuelaNuevaputsthat
beliefintopractice.Ivewitnessedthedemiseofmanyballyhooedattemptsto
reformeducationonamassscale.ButIvetabledmyjadedskepticismafter
visitingEscuelaNuevaschools,reviewingtheresearchandmarvelingatthe
sheernumberofyoungsterswho,over40years,havebeeneducatedthisway.
Imconvincedthatthemodelcanhaveaglobalimpactonthelivesoftens
ofmillionsofchildrennotjustinthedevelopingworldbutintheUnited

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/opinion/sunday/makeschoolademocracy.html?_r=2

3/4

12/8/2016

MakeSchoolaDemocracyTheNewYorkTimes

Statesaswell.
TheressolidevidencethatAmericanstudentsdowellwhentheyare
encouragedtothinkforthemselvesandexpectedtocollaboratewithone
another.Inareportlastyear,theAmericanInstitutesforResearchconcluded
thatstudentswhoattendedsocalleddeeperlearninghighschoolswhich
emphasizeunderstanding,notjustmemorizing,academiccontentapplying
thatunderstandingtonovelproblemsandsituationsanddeveloping
interpersonalskillsandselfcontrolrecordedhighertestscores,weremore
likelytoenrollincollegeandweremoreadeptatcollaborationthantheirpeers
inconventionalschools.
Buttheseschoolsarefarfromthemainstream.Itsreallydifferentand
quiteimpressive,DavidK.Cohen,aneducationprofessorattheUniversityof
Michigan,toldme.IknowofnosimilarsystemintheU.S.
RachelLotan,aprofessoremeritusatStanford,added,Doingwellonthe
highstakestestscoresiswhatdrivesthepublicschools,andadministrators
fearthatgivingstudentsmorecontroloftheirowneducationwillbringdown
thosescores.Officials,andthosewhosetthepoliciestheyfollow,woulddo
welltovisitColombia,whereEscuelaNuevahasmuchtoteachusabouthow
besttoeducateourchildren.
DavidL.KirpisaprofessorofpublicpolicyattheUniversityofCalifornia,
Berkeley,andtheauthorofImprobableScholars:TheRebirthofaGreat
AmericanSchoolSystemandaStrategyforAmericasSchools.
AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonMarch1,2015,onpageSR7oftheNewYorkedition
withtheheadline:MakeSchoolaDemocracy.

2016TheNewYorkTimesCompany

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/opinion/sunday/makeschoolademocracy.html?_r=2

4/4