Summerhill is the most unusual school in the world. Here’s a place where children are not compelled to go to class – they can stay away from lessons for years, if they want to.Yet, strangely enough, the boys and girls in this school LEARN! In fact, being deprived of lessons turns out to be a severe punishment.Summerhill has been run by A. S . Neill for almost forty years. This is the world’s greatest experiment in bestowing unstinted love and approval on children. This is the place, where one courageous man, backed by courageous parents, has had the fortitude to actually apply – without reservation – the principles of freedom and non- repression.The school runs under a true children’s government where the “bosses” are the children themselves. Despite the common belief that such an atmosphere would create a gang of unbridled brats, visitors to Summerhill are struck by the self-imposed discipline of the pupils, by their joyousness, the good manners. These kids exhibit awarmth and lack of suspicion toward adults, which is the wonder, and delight of even official British school investigators. In this book A. S. Neill candidly expresses his unique - and radical – opinions on theimportant aspects of parenthood and child rearing. These strong commendations of authors and educators attest that every parent who reads this book will find in it manyexamples of how Neill’s philosophy may be applied to daily life situations. Educatorswill find Neill’s refreshing viewpoints practical and inspiring. Reading this book is an exceptionally gratifying experience, for it puts into words the deepest feelings of all who care about children, and wish to help them lead happy, fruitful lives.

SUMMERHILL

A RADICAL APPROACH TO CHILD REARINGBy A. S. NEILLWith a Foreword by Eric Fromm1960

TO HAROLD H. HARTI hope you will get a much credit (or blame) for this book, as I will. You have acted, notas a publisher, but as a believer in what Summerhill has done and is doing.Your patience has amazed me. To sort out thousands of words from four of my earlierbooks, to edit them and combine them with new material - this has been a formidabletask.In your visits to the school, you showed that your chief concern was to tell America aboutsomething you saw and loved and believed in. Here you were part of the school. You sawall the fundamentals and rightly ignored what did not matter, for example, the untidinessof happy children.I hereby elect you an honorary pupil of Summerhill.

S. Neill

October 30, 1959Summerhill, Leiston, Sufflolk, England