ALPHA Alternative School is an alternative school in Toronto, Canada. It is Toronto's oldest public alternative school. It was created by parents, and based on the Ontario government's Hall-Dennis Report. ALPHA stands for "A lot of people hoping for an alternative." 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.
Background
ALPHA is based on a philosophy of "non-coercive, holistic, learner-centered education".
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.
The London Daily Mail described the school in 2013 as "one of the trailblazers of alternative education methods".
Alpha II
Alpha II Alternative School is a student-directed senior and secondary school for grades 7 to 12 located in Toronto. Part of the Toronto District School Board, Alpha II was founded in 2007 by a group of ALPHA parents. Students decide for themselves what to learn and how to learn it. School-wide decisions are made by a student-led weekly meeting where each person's voice counts in developing consensus.
References
External links
- Official website
- Alpha II Alternative School website
