News from the SDS community 

Check out our campus, opening in August '27. Meet staff members and discover how your children can benefit from Self-Directed Education. Our first open day is scheduled for Sunday 8 November! We welcome all families interested in exploring an alternative educational path for their children. Date: Sunday, 8 November Time: 16:00 - 17:30 Location: Centre for Performance Transformation (CPT) Singapore Democratic School will be the first place in Singapore to offer Self-Directed E

There are many approaches towards raising children. This often comes with the notion that there is a 'right' way to parent. We caution against one-size-fits-all solutions, since parents shape their kids as much as their kids shape their parents. An approach that works with one child might not work with another. Look at how different siblings are from each other and you see our point. There isn't a single 'right' way to raise children. That said, some beliefs conflict with our

Imagine you are a cow standing in the meadow. In front of you, a herd of cows munches on grass. It looks promising. All the cows must be where the best grass is. But then you arrive at the herd most of the grass is gone. But there is a lot of cow dung. 'If all you do is follow the herd, you'll just be stepping in poop all day.' Families who consider a democratic school are moving away from the herd. But inevitably questions pop up: 'How will SDS graduates get into university?

Many parents have concerns about smartphone use. In response, we added the following to our FAQ: We see electronic devices as powerful learning resources. Computers can be used for games, research, watching videos, and creating art. We will not set limits or bans on screen use. However, we will implement age-appropriate restrictions to ensure children are exposed only to safe and age-appropriate content. The School Meeting will regularly review and adjust rules to ensure stu

A parent told me the other day, ''𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸!'' A forest school session with Hundred Paths It is tempting to claim credit, but all we forest school coaches did was a whole lot of nothing. And that is exactly the point. For context, the aforementioned child is considered ‘neurodiverse’ and had ‘behavioural issues’ (not listening to instructions, prone to anger, screaming if irritat

Get ready for a day of young entrepreneurs showcasing their creative ideas and products at the Children's Entrepreneurship Fair! Children's Entrepreneurship Fair @ Hollandse Club (Asia room) Come join us at the Hollandse Club (open for non-members as well!) for a fun-filled day where kids showcase their innovative ideas and creative businesses. At our fair, young entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to set up their own booths, interact with customers, and make sales. It's

Held in the beautiful natural setting of Lamphun, northern Thailand, IDEC-APDEC Thailand brings together a global community of children, young people, educators, parents, and changemakers passionate about democratic education. Here, children and adults participate as equals, sharing ideas, experiences, and bold visions for the future of learning, freedom, community, and sustainability. More than just a conference, IDEC is a living experiment in reimagining education — and the

‘’We are looking for a school!’’ one of our youngest attendants said. She was at the right place because we were at the nature walk for Singapore Democratic School! We asked,‘’What kind of school would you like?’’ She responded, ‘’I don’t want a school uniform! I want to make my own princess dress!’’ Another child mentioned, ‘’I want to do coding!’’ During this round of our nature walk, we welcomed a family from abroad whose children attended the Wicklow Democratic School. T

Join Us for a Fun Family-Friendly Nature Walk with Singapore Democratic School: Discover Self-Directed Learning! Explore Self-Directed Education Do you take an interest in topics such as self-directed education, unschooling, and a child-centric approach towards education? If so, you are in for a treat! Join us for a fun and family-friendly nature walk that promises to be both educational and enjoyable. Understanding Conflict Resolution in Democratic Schools During our walk, w

We were all seated for the documentary 'How Summerhill Works'. The documentary began with Zoë Neill Readhead, the daughter of Summerhill school founder A.S. Neil, explaining that the school offers not only 'freedom to' but also 'freedom from'. This distinction is important because children have the freedom to pursue their interests at Summerhill. But they also have the freedom from expectations, as classes are entirely optional. Summerhill has operated since 1921 as a democr

Come join us at the Hollandse Club (open for non-members as well!) for a fun-filled day where kids showcase their innovative ideas and creative businesses. At our fair, young entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to set up their own booths, interact with customers, and make sales. It's a fantastic way for children to learn about business, money management, and customer service in a hands-on environment. Parents, bring your little ones to support their entrepreneurial spirit

Democratic schools have been around for a long time. The oldest and still-running school is A.S. Neill's Summerhill School. Founded in 1921, the school is run through school meetings in which both staff and students have an equal vote. The school has a policy of non-compulsory lessons, which means students have the freedom to pursue their interests beyond the classroom. "The function of the child is to live his own life – not the life that his anxious parents think he should

‘I’m afraid if my daughter doesn’t get an interest in reading, she will fall behind in school, won’t get good grades, won’t get into a good secondary school, won’t be able to go to university, won’t have a high-paying job, and won’t make enough pension contributions to retire comfortably!’, a nervous mum shared with her daughter’s teacher. Her daughter is four years old. The mom could be described as a kiasu parent. Kiasu is a Singlish term that is loosely translated as ‘afra

It was time for the third round of our Singapore Democratic School nature walk! The main topic of this walk was conflict resolution in democratic schools. A diverse group from different backgrounds arrived. Once we all gathered at Botanic Gardens MRT, we headed towards the Children's Garden. As soon as we settled on the grass at the foot of a small hill, we saw conflict unfolding. Children from two families who joined were having a conflict at the playground. One child was vi

Join us for a fun family-friendly nature walk with Singapore Democratic School and learn how conflict is handled in democratic schools. Do you take an interest in topics such as 'self-directed education', 'unschooling', and a child-centric approach towards education? Then join us for a fun and family-friendly nature walk! During our walk, we will be discussing how conflict is resolved in democratic schools. In democratic schools, the school rules are democratically decided by

From our friends at the European Democratic Education Conference (EUDEC): We are excited to invite you to participate in the 2026 European Democratic Education Community’s (EUDEC) annual conference in beautiful İzmir, Türkiye, from July 30 to August 6, 2026. The annual conference is the highlight of EUDEC calendar, bringing together scholars and volunteers active in democratic education from across the globe. It is a space to share research, exchange ideas, and foster intelle

Join us at the Children's Entrepreneurship Fair and support young entrepreneurs! Date: Sunday 17 May Time: 11:00 - 15:00 Location: Hollandse Club

Overview Join us for a fun family-friendly nature walk with Singapore Democratic School and discuss Peter Gray's book 'Free to Learn'! Nature Walk with Singapore Democratic School Do you take an interest in topics such as 'self-directed education', 'unschooling', and a child-centric approach towards education? Then join us for a fun and family-friendly nature walk! During our walk, we will be discussing the book 'Free to Learn' by Professor Peter Gray. In the book, Peter Gray