A.S. Neill Quotes

No teacher has the right to cure a child of making noises on a drum. The only curing that should be practiced is the curing of unhappiness.

The function of a child is to live his/her own life, not the life that his/her anxious parents think he/she should live, nor a life according to the purpose of the educators who thinks they knows best

If the emotions are free the intellect will look after itself

Small boys often produce their own plays; but usually the parts are not written out. They hardly need to be, for the main line of each character is always "Stick 'em up!" In these plays the curtain is always rung down on a set of corpses, for small boys are by nature through and uncompromising.

Compelled respect always implies fear.

Summerhill children are allowed to go through their gangster period, and consequentially more furniture is destroyed.

I would rather see a school produce a happy street cleaner than a neurotic scholar.

All crimes, all hatreds, all wars can be reduced to unhappiness.