“Developing Out of the Interests of the Children”

In this chapter are given brief descriptions of a few among the many schools I have seen attempting, in one way or another, to give their pupils a good general education “not focused primarily on the traditional subjects of the curriculum, but” (to some extent at least) “developing out of the interests of the children”.1 As was the case

with all the Secondary Modern schools, of whatever type, which were attacking their problem thoughtfully, the variety was very great. It ranged from those in which the curriculum would appear to have evolved almost spontaneously, to those in which it had clearly been elaborately and systematically planned.