progressive education

In Jonathan Mahler’s excellent article on divisions within Friends Seminary, “Watch What You Say. A Teacher Made a Hitler Joke In Classroom. It Tore The School Apart”, (9/9/2018) four other prestigious private schools in Manhattan are mentioned as competitive alternatives. The uniqueness of Friends Seminary is attributed to its commitment to Quaker values. The school, however, differs from the others in a more important way: it’s practice of progressive education. A fundamental tenet of progressive education, that children learn most from activities (especially from self-chosen ones) and through play, including role play, are increasingly put into practice in public schools, Catholic schools, and Day schools, although not in charter schools, and  these are enveloped in the following principles: the belief that every child is altruistic, deep respect for the dignity of each child, and the determination to give each child as much responsibility as he or she is thought to be capable of carrying. There is also a commitment to help each child on the path to become a thoughtful, considerate citizen.