He founded the famous Summerhill school.
It’s a school that teaches way more than reading, writing and doing maths.
It teaches peace, happiness, responsibility, democracy, self-confidence, trust and cooperation.
No other school in the world teaches these things although they are important, aren’t they?
Summerhill is also a psychological experiment that disconfirms assumptions about human nature society has been based on for thousands of years.
I read Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Child Rearing, Neill! Neill! Orange Peel! and Summerhill and A.S. Neill by Zoe Readhead, Neill’s daughter and current principal of Summerhill.
If you love Summerhill as much as I do, you may want to consider donating to them to support the A.S.Neill Archive and Research Centre.
Photo courtesy of John Walmsley