Alternative Schools in British Columbia 1960-1975
A Social and Cultural History
by Harley Rothstein

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The tumultuous 1960s was an era of the counterculture, political activism, and resistance to authority. Conventions and values were challenged and new approaches to education captured the imaginations of parents, teachers, and students. Reacting against the one-size-fits-all nature of the traditional public school system, groups of parents and teachers in Canada and the United States established alternative schools or “free schools” based on the Progressive, child-centred philosophy of John Dewey and the Romantic ideas of Summerhill founder A.S. Neill. In Alternative Schools in British Columbia, 1960-1975, Harley Rothstein tells the story of ten such schools that arose in the province of British Columbia. Drawing on 350 self-conducted interviews, newspaper articles, personal journals, and school records, Dr. Rothstein invites readers to experience the early days of alternative schools. He describes the educational philosophy, curriculum, and governance of these institutions, and introduces readers to the people who were at the heart of alternative communities. Tracing the evolution, successes, and challenges of each school, he presents the day-to-day experience and brings to life the ethos of the 1960s era. Historians, educators, and all curious readers will become immersed in this engaging account of a group of educational pioneers on Canada’s west coast, and how they inspired the liberalization of the public school system that would come in the 1970s.

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Harley Rothstein has been passionate about alternative education for half a century and has done extensive research on the subject. Intrigued by the well-known Summerhill School in England, he visited there many years ago. He taught in the public school system where, as a teacher, he worked to incorporate the best aspects of alternative education into his classroom. Dr. Rothstein also taught in the UBC Education Faculty where he mentored student teachers and where he completed his PhD in educational history. In this book he now presents his findings to a wider audience, inviting readers to experience the excitement, challenges, and inspiration of the 1960s and 70s. He lives with his wife, also a writer, in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood and is also a recorded musician and a lay leader of Jewish religious services.

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Contributors

Author

Harley Rothstein

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