ALPHA Alternative School

ALPHA Alternative School is Toronto's oldest public alternative school.[1] It was created by parents, and based on the Ontario government's Hall-Dennis Report.[2] ALPHA stands for "A lot of people hoping for an alternative."[1] It is located downtown on Brant Street, near Adelaide St.

The school was started with no tests or grades. Behaviour rules were created and enforced by students and staff democratically.[3]

Background

ALPHA is based on a philosophy of "non-coercive, holistic, learner-centered education".[4]

Reception

ALPHA was the focus of the Masters thesis Defining and Defending a Democratic Education Site, by Deb O'Rourke. The Journal of Unschooling and Alternative Learning published an article, Letting the Child Work, based on this thesis.[5]

The London Daily Mail described the school in 2013 as "one of the trailblazers of alternative education methods".[6]

Alpha II

Alpha II Alternative School is a student-directed senior and secondary school for grades 7 to 12 located in Toronto, Ontario. It is in the Toronto District School Board, founded in 2007.[7] Each student decides for herself what to learn and how to learn it.[7] A student-led weekly meeting makes decisions on school rules and plans. Decisions are made by consensus.[7]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Toronto Star article: School marks 40 years
  2. ALPHA website
  3. Huffington Post: Alpha Alternative celebrates radical past
  4. ALPHA's philosophy on their website
  5. Letting the Child Work (PDF),
  6. Daily Mail article: Toronto ALPHA Alternative School
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Alpha II Alternative School History". Alpha II Alternative School.

External links

Coordinates: 43°38′45″N 79°23′54″W / 43.6457°N 79.3982°W