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Deschooling Society cover

Deschooling Society

By Ivan Illich

A radical critique of compulsory schooling and a vision for self-directed learning communities.

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Deschooling Society (1971) is a critical discourse on education as practised in modern economies. It is a book that brought Ivan Illich to public attention. Full of detail on programs and concerns, the book gives examples of the ineffectual nature of institutionalized education. Illich posited self-directed education, supported by intentional social relations in fluid informal arrangements.