Alternative Education: A New Emerging Approach

Alternative education is a blanket term encompassing many different pedagogical approaches differing from that of the mainstream pedagogy employed in a culture (http://en.m.wikipedia.org). Alternative education is education in a different setting and style. It is not an alternative to education. Every student enjoy education success and is entitled to educational achievement (http://www.alternativeeducation.tki.org.nz). Alternative education is more of a perspective than a program. It is built upon the beliefs that there are many varied ways to become educated, many types of educational environments and different structures. Alternative educator Emmanuel Pariser says the “most powerful influence on students is friendly attention in a supportive atmosphere” (http://www.iusd.org).

The term alternative education describes different approaches to teaching and learning other than state-provided main-stream education, usually in the form of public or private schools. It is often innovative curriculum and a flexible programme of study which is based on a large extent on the individual student's interests and needs (Raywid, 1988-Koetzsch, 1997-Aron, 2003-Carnie, 2003)/In the broadest sense, alternative education covers all educational activities that fall outside the traditional K-12 school (including home schooling, special programmes for gifted children and school dropouts, charter schools, etc.). Although this term is often used to describe programmes serving vulnerable youth who are no longer in traditional schools (Aron, 2006).

This paper discusses the historical background and concept of alternative education, types or models of alternative education, some pedagogical approaches in alternative schools and attributes of high quality alternative education programmes.