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This is a unique collection of leading examples of education grounded in alternative philosophies and cultures - from initiatives to create more democratic schools, through Quaker, Buddhist, Islamic, Montessori and Steiner/Waldorf schools, to Maori and First Nations education in Canada and Palestinian Jewish schools in Israel.

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Introduction; P.A.Woods & G.J.Woods The K20 Model for Systemic Educational Change and Sustainability: Addressing Social Justice in Rural Schools and Implications for Educators in All Contexts; M.J.O´Hair, L.A.Williams, S.Wilson & P.J.Applegate Democratic Schools in Latin America? Lessons Learned from the Experiences in Nicaragua and Brazil; S.Gvirtz & L.Minvielle The Touching Example of Summerhill School; I.Stronach & H.Piper Quaker Schools in England: Offering a Vision of an Alternative Society; H.Johnson A Buddhist Approach to Alternative Schooling: The Dharma School, Brighton, UK; C.Erricker Islamic Schools in the US and Netherlands: Inhibiting or Enhancing Democratic Dispositions?; M.Merry & G.Driessen On Their Way Somewhere: Integrated Bilingual Palestinian Jewish Education in Israel; Z.Bekerman ´Alternative´ Maori education? Talking Back/Talking Through Hegemonic Sites of Power; H.Waitere & M.Court Starting with the Land: Toward Indigenous Thought in Canadian Education; C.Haig-Brown & J.Hodson Montessori and Embodied Education; K.Rathunde Education for Freedom: The Goal of Steiner/Waldorf Schools; M.Ashley Pathways to Learning: Deepening Reflective Practice to Explore Democracy, Connectedness and Spirituality; P.A.Woods & G.J.Woods

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"This is an important and timely book. Not only does it name and explore a range of convincing alternatives to an exhausted and exhausting present, through rich accounts of inspirational practice and incisive and imaginative analysis, it reconnects schooling and education in ways which take seriously the development of the whole person and the development of a vibrant and inclusive democracy." - Michael Fielding, Professor of Education, Institute of Education, University of London

"In an era of standardization, curriculum-narrowing, and high stakes testing, Alternative Education for the 21st Century provides thoroughly refreshing perspectives on education. The book is international in scope, and by introducing a wide range of different models of schooling in diverse cultures, it offers the reader fascinating alternatives to the current restrictive trends in education. I recommend this book highly; it has helped to restore my faith in the promise of a meaningful reflective, democratic and ethical education in which one size definitely does not fit all students and in which boundary-crossing between mainstream and alternative schooling can occur." - Joan Poliner Shapiro, Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, College of Education, Temple University

"Many educators today are worried about the narrow approaches to schooling so often being implemented to meet the perceived needs of a globally competitive environment. This extraordinary book provides them with a rich variety of alternative models of schooling to reflect upon and contrast with today s offerings. The alternatives presented in this book provide a vehicle for broadening schooling by deepening reflection on the other options available for more humanistic approaches to student development and equity and excellence in outcomes for students." - William L. Boyd, Batschelet Chair of Educational Leadership, Pennsylvania State University; Editor of American Journal of Education

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