Peter Gray - Children’s Natural Ways of Learning and the Future of Education

In celebration of Summerhill School’s centenary, the Summerhill Festival of Childhood and IDEC 2021 took place online between the 30th of September and the 5th of October 2021. More than 150 contributors presented, joined community discussions, shared ideas and performed. Most of the festival was recorded and we are happy to share it on this Youtube channel. The COVID disruption in schooling has led many to think anew about why schools are what they are and whether there are better routes to education in our time. In this talk, Peter Gray describes how children's instincts to explore, play, and connect with others provide the natural foundation for education. He describes the findings of his own and others’ research showing that educational models that facilitate rather than suppress children’s natural ways of learning have proven highly successful in today’s world. He also presents his vision of an ideal future of education.