Conceptions of person-centered education in the 21st century: developing a position statement for ways of being in educational organizations

Abstract

Across the world, policies and practices within education are changing, and this presents a small window of opportunity for person-centered educators to put principles into practice within mainstream educational systems. In this context, it is important that person-centered educators are explicit about what we believe in terms of classroom practice and beyond. This article uses one small school in England as a prism through which to explore key facets of the person-centered approach to education. This school is not explicitly person-centered - it is a democratic school – but the values, ethos and practice of this school dovetail with the person-centered approach. The article concludes with a provisional “position statement” as to what we might expect to find within all person-centered educational organizations.