... und ich war nie in der Schule

Good day, my name is André, I am a boy, I do not eat candy, and I do not go to school! This was the standard sentence with which André Stern responded to adults when they asked him why he roamed freely during times when other children were in school. The last part of the sentence usually caused quite a stir - and it still does today. Now, André Stern tells his story, the story of a child who never attended school. He vividly, charmingly, and entertainingly recounts how he engaged deeply with mathematics and technology just as much as with dance, literature, guitar making, and languages. Thus, his youth was rich in intense learning experiences - yet free from stress, competition, performance pressure, and the pursuit of good grades. There is now a debate across Europe about whether the school system...