One Size Does Not Fit All: A Student’s Assessment of School
Earlier this year, Molly Moody of Class Size Matters interviewed Nikhil Goyal, seventeen-year old student writer and international speaker, to discuss his new book, One Size Does Not Fit All: A Student’s Assessmentof School. Goyal is well known as an advocate for student voice. In addition to his book, published in 2012, you can find his writing in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, MSNBC, NPR, NBC Nightly News, Huffington Post, Education Week and other news outlets.
Molly: What is your optimal design for a school system
Nikhil: First, we should get rid of the compulsory school system. Second, students need to have ownership and agency over their learning. The role of a teacher becomes a mentor and facilitator rather than a "sage on the stage." Intrinsic motivation to learn something outweighs everything else. Third, schools should look less like prisons and more like startups and horizontal work environments. Research has concluded that a school's design can impact a child's