In his book, Summerhill (1960), Neill proposes 10 principles that theSummerhill School was founded upon.
"Summerhill does not expound a theory; it relates theactual experience of almost 40 years. FREEDOM WORKS. It represents the trueprinciple of education without fear. In Summerhill School, authority does notmask a system of manipulation" (Neill, 1960).
The 10 Principles:
1. Neill maintains a firm faithin the goodness of the child.
2. The aim of education - in fact the aim of life- is to work joyfully and to find happiness.
3. Education must be both intellectual and emotional .
4. Education must be geared to the psychic needs and capacitiesof the child.
5. Discipline, dogmatically imposed, and punishmentcreate fear; and fear creates hostility.
6. Freedom does not mean license. Neill stressesthat respect for the individual must be mutual.
7. Honesty and true sincerity is required of eachand every teacher.
8. Healthy human development makes it necessary that a childeventually cut the primary ties which connect him with his father and mother, orwith later substitutes in society, and that he or she become truly independent.
9. Guilt feelings primarily have the functionof binding the child to authority.
10. Summerhill does NOT offer religious education.This however, does not mean that Summerhill is not concerned with what might beloosely called the basic humanistic values.