The School of Life--the sort of future school I'd like to see

After a dreary morning reading policy reports on the education crisis, thinking about electronic portfolios, and acting like a technocrat, I stumbled onto The School of Life (and a brief article summarizing its goals in Liberal Education.)

Looked at one way it is an effort to reclaim the value of the humanities in a technological and scientific world. But looked at another, it does exactly what ed reformers say works best; it integrates disciplines, ignores seat time for learning, charges affordable prices, and varies its delivery options--providing classes, one-on-one mentoring, oration, meals, etc.

The School of Life seems to be part of a small, and generally unremarked school reform effort made up of schools that don't aim for credentialling or accreditation but instead the creation of healthy people and communities. (Here is another, dedicated to learning about Buddhism.) These schools seem to have humor, humility, and their eye on the key questions of life. More of which we could all use...