Alternative education

Alternative education is now far from being only “compelled” - when, for example, a child cannot study at a regular school due to health problems, etc. Nowadays, the meaning of the concept of “alternative education” has expanded: imagine a different, radically changed - system education, which has almost nothing to do with memorization and “obligation”. It's difficult to imagine? Everything impossible is possible.

An alternative school is, first and foremost, a change in the attitude towards the student: the student becomes the center of such an education, and not the impersonal education system as a whole. And here we are faced with the first specific aspect of alternative education: the student should be so intellectually, spiritually, socially developed, a sense of mutual respect and responsibility should be sharpened in him in order to independently coordinate his education - in short, to study as an adult, and not as a child: with full responsibility and awareness of the expediency of what is happening. In other words, for an alternative system there must be an alternative soil.

Consider some of the most famous types of alternative learning.

External studies are the most common version of alternative education. Externship is the passing of exams in an educational institution (for example, at school), in which the subject did not study. In other words, the student came to school only for the purpose of passing exams and obtaining a certificate. The process of preparing for exams remains on the conscience of the student, and no one should be outraged by the presence of such a situation. Each Russian general education school with state accreditation is obliged to provide the “applicant” with the opportunity to show their knowledge in terms of external studies.

The Montessori school system is the dominant principle sees the attitude towards students as independent students - independent individuals. The principle implemented in Montessori schools is good, but in these schools it applies only to children under 6 years old. In high school - when implementing this principle -you should remember about the features of growing up and the transitional age of schoolchildren, although the Montessori principles need to be adopted.

Schools of the "American" type, or the Waldorf education system, are the most frequent phenomenon in modern education (more than 800 schools around the world). The school has a system of tutoring - the class teacher takes care of his students for 8 years - until graduation. There are some specific features in American schools: for example, children are taught to read only in the second grade, although they are introduced to letters earlier. For the Russian system of primary education, which requires that a student come to the first grade already prepared, this is not entirely clear. Another feature of the Waldorf system is the rejection of textbooks: younger students use only a workbook, while high school students use textbooks as an additional source of information. There are several Waldorf schools in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The school of academician Shchetinin is a community located in a forest. The school is built on the principle of a small state, in which there are no divisions into “castes” classes, i.e. groups of pupils by age principle are not distinguished here. There are many other innovations in such a school: they do not use textbooks and do not set lessons. The school’s work is based on “5” pillars: moral and spiritual development, striving for knowledge, work, the formation of a sense of beauty, powerful physical preparation. Everything that the students use is built with their own hands: this is how their love of work manifests itself (educational buildings, domestic premises, etc.).

The school-park of Miloslav Balobanov (Yekaterinburg) was largely a discovery and a shock for education. The school practices the rejection of compulsory classes, classes, grades. The teacher in the School Park is positioned as the head of the studio, and the students as his apprentices. Representatives of the School recommend using all the teacher’s feedback on the work of his ward as a “portfolio” of a graduate when enrolling in a higher educational institution or for work.

Another kind of alternative education - probably the most understandable for us - is home schooling. On the one hand, such education - if desired, diligence and focus on results - allows the student to receive a brilliant education - through regular and consistent work with the strongest teachers. On the other hand, at home education, the child “loses” communication, which can lead to certain problems with socialization and interaction with other - especially strangers -people.

Alternative education - of course, not in its extreme manifestations -definitely indicates the development of the field of education, the introduction of innovations in education, the diversity that allows a person to become multifaceted and comprehensive. On the other hand, alternative schools do not give their graduates any state-issued documents.

Choosing an alternative school is often difficult. Parents who believe that standard schools do not work adequately with the child’s educational needs should consider different options. Here are the main reasons for this:

• •    the child is unusually gifted;

• •      has a special talent or interest, for example, in music or science,

which cannot be fully developed in a standard school;

• •      he does not receive enough attention in a regular school;

• •      he cannot study for health reasons;

• •      the child’s behavior becomes self-destructive;

• •     he has emotional and mental problems.

Studies show that most troubled students who graduate from alternative schools have improved their family relationships, want to continue their studies, or are looking for work.

However, you should not think that attending an alternative school has certain advantages. There are disadvantages, here are the main ones:

• •      expensive training;

• •      classes may be less intense than in standard schools;

• •      it is believed that classes are not so strict, and graduates are not

competitive when entering universities. Nevertheless, some schools focus on ensuring that the graduate can continue his studies after graduation without any problems.

• •      the qualifications of teachers in alternative schools are not always

clear;

• •     schools that are less than 5 years old may be more experimental than

effective. This is now fashionable, which means that there are many who want to cash in on this.

• •     not every school is accredited by the relevant government bodies.

We have already said that the advantages and disadvantages are rather arbitrary, because such schools are too different from each other.

It is also worth saying that alternative schools specialize in using diverse and creative ways of teaching material, and their methods are often more adapted to the preferences of each student.

Sources used:

• 1.    Ivanov E.V. The phenomenon of freedom in the pedagogy of Western Europe and Russia (second half of the XIX beginning of the XX century: Ph.D. ped.science. Text. / EV Ivanov. - Novgorod, 2004

• 2.    Alternative Schools Text. // Russian pedagogical encyclopedia. -M., 1993

• 3.    https://www.tutoronline.ru/news/alternativnoe-obrazovanie-vybor-vsegda-

• est

• 4.    https://4brain.ru/blog/альтернативное-образование/

  "Экономика и социум" №12(67) 2019