How Sudbury Valley Redefines the Role of School
“What are the characteristics that people should have to be comfortable in this new reality? I think you’ll all agree with these. They have to be flexible and adaptable, and can’t be stuck in any rut. They have to be able to interact seamlessly with their environment, and the environment now means the globe. That’s what an effective adult has to be in this new era. They have to be able to pursue their passions and develop their strengths because that’s all that counts now – people who are really pursuing their strengths and doing something that interests other people. They have to have the ability to collaborate with others. That’s obvious because if you have the human global mind, and you don’t know how to interact and collaborate with others, you’re a loner. You might as well go out on an island and forget about it and go into your sustainable corner. They have to be able to participate in a self-governing milieu, because the very essence of the new era is lack of control. The world is clearly politically entering a stage where no one knows how to control anything. It has nothing to do with political philosophy. No one knows how to control anyone. We don’t know how to control our financial system, we don’t know how to control our political system. What does it all mean? It means that we have no idea how to run anything. It’s just gotten away from us. The only thing you can run is something you participate in running directly – a self-governing entity is the only way.”