Abstract

This volume introduces a new conception of political education and new roles for headteachers and parents in the creation of a more democratic educational system. The book proposes curbing the power of teachers, including headteachers, stripping parents of their rights, and making political education the keystone of education. It considers what kind of educational strategies would be appropriate to help move a society like our own towards greater democracy, in the light of a co-ordinated set of proposals about the democratic organization of political decision-making, and the development of democratic attitudes, notably fraternity. All this is underpinned by a radical analysis of basic democratic principles and assumptions, and a fundamental critique of the power-sharing machinery of such contemporary democratic societies as the UK and USA.